We've Come a Long Way!

This past weekend we went to Nashville for my ten year college reunion. I was so thankful to be there and had a wonderful time catching up with so many friends I talk to on the phone or over email weekly and really catching up with friends I had not seen in quite some time, even as far back as freshman year in 1993! It made me pull out the scrapbook when I arrived home late this evening. And so, forgive me while I take a stroll down memory lane...

Sorority parties, back in the day when denim vests and denim shirts with silver beads were the in thing.

Suite 401, Towers III, just a typical weekend night before heading out the door for a night on the town in 1995. That ugly couch in the background folded out into a sleeper bed. We paid $30 for it at Salvation Army and paid someone another $30 to deliver it. It was the site of many a slumber party, watching Tommyboy for the umpteenth time with a big bowl of popcorn.

Our first girls reunion in Destin, FL, 1998, one year post graduation. Is that the same denim shirt I had on in 1995?

Liz's wedding, 2000, well, at least the bachelorette party the night before. Don't get excited, those are candy cigarettes, a consolation prize for the "bad girls" who lost a shower game. Liz's wedding is also where I polled my girlfriends to see if I should accept Philip's invitation to join him at the beach with his family, remember, first date.

Erin's wedding, 2000, Philip's first introduction to my girls. As soon as we arrived, I got a phone call that asked me to come up to one of the hotel rooms. I entered to find the jury announcing their approval of Philip. I think I made Philip take this picture which ended with him taking about twenty pictures with twenty other cameras.

Claire's wedding, 2000. By then, Philip was becoming more comfortable being our resident photographer. Heather married in 1998, Marva married in 1999 and Claire's wedding was the third wedding of 2000. No pressure, Philip...

Insert picture of Allison's wedding here. Not sure why I can't seem to find even one picture but the nice way of saying how the night went was that I had a really, really, really, good time. I danced so hard that the strap fell off the bridesmaid dress followed by one side of the sewn in bra. That's what I'm admitting, anyone else want to confess?

Our wedding, 2001, celebrating with Nicole and Erin.

In late August of 1993, I remember my parents kissing me goodbye on freshmen move-in day. I put on a brave face but as soon as their backs were turned, the fear and anxiety took over. I didn't know one person at Vanderbilt. Had I made a mistake? How in the world I was ever going to make friends? Erin, Amy, and Marva were on that hall with me. By the end of the year, we were becoming good friends.

Sophomore year, I roomed with Marva. There are too many stories to tell there but suffice it to say, Marva was a hoot. I found myself joining Kappa Delta sorority as an upperclassman that fall, which meant more new friends in Claire, Meredith, Allison, Nicole, Heather, and others.

My absolute favorite memories were in my junior and senior year, living in Suite 401 in Towers III. Liz became our "mom", making us tortellini soup when the weather turned colder. Marva would stay up all night studying, with a chair in front of the oven, feet wrapped in a blanket and stuck inside the oven on a toasty 200 degrees. Meredith kept us in line, as our moral compass. Erin and I had our difference on occasion, sometimes ending in a pickle juice fight. Amy kept us on time to sorority meetings and inspired us by her strict early morning exercise routine. Allison taught us to dance, swaying to anything Dave Matthews, two fingers in the air, waving her signature peace sign for all to see. Claire lost her Commodore card at least seven times and all senior year, we waited to see if she would find her American Express card that was lodged under the answering machine in the common room. She did, on graduation day, when we all moved out. We had boyfriends, breakups, and bad first and last dates. There were always listening ears, plenty of tissues, or laughter when that seemed to be the answer.

I hated to graduate, wondering if my good friends would fade away after graduation. Despite the distances, relationship, career and family choices we've each made along the way, we're all still great friends we can call on anytime. I thank God for this past weekend, which made me realize what a blessing my friends are in my life. I love you all!

Ten year reunion, Vanderbilt Class of 1997.