I can't believe that it has been 10 years since I graduated from college with my Elementary Education degree in hand, ready to "save the world", or at least a few kids, anyway! A few weeks ago I 'dragged' my wonderful husband back to my tiny, rural Alma Mater to reunite with old friends! I of course was obsessed over every detail as I do now when something is unfamiliar to me. Everyone kept telling me it was "no big deal, just old friends hanging out". I appreciate their love for me in trying to calm my obsessive ways but I still obsessed! After packing every last thing I "might need", seriously, if you think I am kidding you have never visited Western New York. It could easily go from warm and sunny to snowing in minutes and let's just say, it is 45 minutes to any civilization where you might have a chance of "picking up" whatever it is you forgot! Now please remember, if I get too cold my left side still becomes spastic and it is uncomfortable to have your muscles all cramped up for any length of time, so I like to avoid it when I can! With that being said, I was pretty exhausted from the packing alone! My husband, on the other hand, simply throws a few things in a bag and is ready to go! I love that, if only I could do that and not obsess, make detailed lists and devise a "just in case plan"so I am not having to make a quick decision or forced to "rush" (neither are things I am capable of anymore).
So, with packing behind me we left on my "mecca" back to college! Now you should know that when you go to a private college in the "middle-of-nowhere", the local truck stop becomes a popular 'hangout'! I'm not kidding! So, I make this big deal about the truck stop, we are about to come to, I sarcastically prep my husband for the excitement by turning on the drama as best I can(poor man). Long story short......the truck stop has closed down, rats, now my story is so much less believable. Never-the-less, we venture to college. As we are almost there my hubby says, "man, this place really is in the middle of nowhere", Ya think????? As we pull into campus I was filled with so many conflicting emotions! I knew I would be but until you are just there, in the moment, there is no way to fully prepare!
As I walked into the "Campus Center" it was all redone but still smelled the same, just a distinct smell, not good or bad! But, then the flood of emotion mixed in the the confusion of an unfamiliar setting! There I stood for a moment, taking it all in. There are so many good feelings and happy memories of this place that they almost choked out the unpleasant ones. But, you can't help but remember the late nights and tall cups of coffee, giving you that nauseous feeling! I am still trying to repress most of my freshman year of poor time management, less than ideal relationships and poor judgement in general! Just to clarify, not the usual poor judgment things freshman with 'new found freedom' do. No, I am talking about "going to class in your PJ pants with a hat on your head" kinds of things you hope you are NOT remembered for!! I know I should be more forgiving of my 18 year old self, but seriously, I have no idea how to "not be" too hard on myself. That was also the year my horrid migraines started, I think I had one, never-ending, migraine until my aneurysm ruptured but there apparently is no connection. I'm not going to lie, it was really hard to function with a headache of varying degrees of severity! If only all my weird insecurities could be blamed on it!
So, while the "before Aneurysm Lisa" would have been all about spending every second chatting with people, the "after aneurysm Lisa" escaped with her husband to Letchworth State Park for an afternoon of beautiful leaves and quiet spaces AND A CAMERA! I only took a few hundred pictures. I am SO thankful for digital cameras!!!Then it was back to Campus for for a reunion dinner!
"Not one that I have found in all my searching equaled the one that found me when I finally stopped." -Tyler Knott Gregson
Here are some photos for you..............
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
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