Boy had I MISSED IT!!!!
I knew that I missed certain things about college life and even good ole Bethany, OK before I went, but seeing my old stomping grounds again brought about this strange rush of emotions that made me miss it ALL.
The trip was short and packed to the brim of things to do and places to be, but even amidst all the craziness, I was able to walk around a little bit and take it all in.
I left early (3 AM!!) Friday morning to catch my flight from Raleigh-Houston-OKC. Despite weather delays in OKC I managed to get there around lunch time.
My family surprised me by managing to get my brother to come along for the graduation weekend. I hadn't seen my little booger of a bro in a while. Not for a quality amount of time anyways, so it was awesome to have all four of us cousins together. It probably doesn't mean as much to any of them as it does to me right now, but I am hoping it will someday. I only have TWO cousins on this planet, so I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to support one of them for anything. Fortunately for me, the rest of my family feels the same way when one of us comes at a life changing crossroads. Always an excuse for a BBQ. :)
That night I went with to the Senior Celebration which traditionally is the night before graduation where the grad's can invite their families for a banquet type setting little PARTAY. Nice chance for some dress up photo ops, meet these prof's you have heard so much about, and meet the roommates and friends that you have heard the most random stories about. I met up with a few of my friends I graduated with which was awesome.
It's so surreal to go back to a place where you get to see people you haven't seen since "that day," three years ago when it was OUR Senior Celebration we were attending.
It was humbling, fun, and scary.
In a good way, oddly enough.
Next morning woke up at the crack of dawn to hitch a ride with the early goers that morning to the SNU campus.
We drive up to campus and this is the first time I am seeing it in day time. The dorm I spent so much of my college experience in is now torn down and being rebuilt about 3 times the size of the original and is now going to be COED. The fact that COED is even an option now at the campus amazes me.
The only COED experience any of us got was open dorm night once in a blue moon and Intramurals!!
It's crazy that something that significant could change in only three years.
Seems so long ago yet it seems like yesterday.
My dear college partner in crime, Laurie, picked me up on campus and we went out to breakfast to catch up before commencement started. She got married a month after me so both of our lives started changing about at the same time and here we are in the same place thinking about some of the same things and struggling with some of the same issues in life.
It was kind of relieving.
We may not talk as much as we used to or be as close, but I learned from this weekend, that that is ok. We're changing. We've changed. But not for the worse, but for the better. We aren't the little college kids running around owing the place anymore. We're grown, making "big kid" decisions now, and it was so awesome to take our friendship to that level.
House buying, work, kids, pets, school, other college friends, etc.
We have the same mentality we used to have, just different issues. :)
Big kid issues.
Graduation was very enlightening. We had reserved, "cool people", seating thanks to my lovely Aunt Myrna being on what seems to be every board possible for the University. :)
There were long drawn out speeches that I couldn't tell you much about.
I was too busy gazing around the auditorium (with my glasses now since I'm old and blind now!) picking out familiar faces from the large crowd.
But once the "name calling" started I was paying attention.
I promise. :)
Of course, my cousin is a little rockstar with all his medals/ropes/etc. so he sounded like a prisoner in chains when he walked up in line and had his 15 seconds of awesomeness. It was great.
While out at the ivy ring ceremony I found my brick the University put out by the fountain in front of the Commons. It's pretty cool to have your school do that for you. :)
I saw my awesome Professor Wilcox who was my Editor advisor my senior year. Also a great friend.
Seeing those bricks there brought back so many memories of late office nights, newspaper deliveries, Starbucks runs, SGA meetings, staff meetings........Also brought back all the memories I have of the people I worked with....Their bricks are there too and it was so cool to see how things panned out here years later. Miss you guys!
The rest of the day consisted of BBQ's and relaxing. Later that night Drew and I went to see Iron Man 2, which was good.
Flew out the next morning in what was perhaps the longest flight I've had flying back to Raleigh, stops wise.
Flew from OKC-Chicago-DC-Raleigh.
Sigh.
Is that really necessary?
Never has it been that crazy before.
Definitely went to Chipotle in Raleigh, all in the memory of my deployed hubs. :)
Miss him.
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