Day One, Giggling With Jenifer

Last Thursday morning, Steven and I set off on our cross country (well, HALF cross country) adventure.  We rose early and were on I26 by 5:30 am.  I promptly fell asleep, even though the excitement was killing me!  I slept through the best part of the trip (the Smokies) but woke up in enough time to see the world's biggest cross situated next to the world's biggest porn shop.  Irony?

As you know, this was the weekend of my 30th High School Reunion, to be held in Terre Haute, Indiana.  You did know this right? I've mentioned it a few times before?  We decided to spend the first night in Indianapolis with my dear friend, Jenifer.  (You may remember Jenifer, I blogged about her here...) 

As I'm heading to this reunion, I'm wondering to myself a few things:

1. Will I know anyone?  Will I remember anyone?  
2. Will anyone know or remember me?
3. Will I feel sad about having to move my senior year?
4. Will I make an ass of myself?
5. Will we get any new Pete Grimes updates?

I thought about these things through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, a bit of Ohio, and then Indiana.  I reminisced in my mind as the temperatures plummeted from 100 in Goose Creek, down to 63 in Indy.  (that was pure bliss, my friends!)  I would look over at Steven and thank my lucky stars that he was accompanying me to this event. 

My heart broke when I had to move my senior year.  And that heartbreak has affected me for the the last thirty years.  So, going back to it all is kind of a big deal for me.  I was 16 when I left there, and an awful lot has transpired in the years.  There are a lot of ghosts there that need to be visited.  And, I'm nervous as all get up.

So, I'm awful glad that we spend Night Number One with crazy Jenifer and her crazy family.  She has a wonderful husband and four great kids.  We eat, we visit, we look at yearbooks and gossip like nobody's business.  Neither one of us really knew a whole lot, but we shared what little we did.   "Oh, do you think so and so will be there?"  We regaled our husbands with tales that bored them crazy, but sent us into fits of giggles.  It was a very special evening.  It helped prepare me for meeting up with all those memories.

I woke up on Day Two in a teen girl's bedroom.  I couldn't help but think about myself as a young girl, sleeping in a bedroom just like this.  I was reminded of all I had hoped and dreamed for in my life, and did it all end up as I had dreamed? 

So, with a great evening under our belt, and a little bit of a hangover, we then proceed on the 70 mile drive to Terre Haute.  That's when we take Exit #7 and head south on Hwy 41 and we see....

(to be continued...)