10 Year Reunion

This past Saturday was my 10 year high school reunion.  I'm still trying to figure out how the hell ten years went by so quickly!  That said, it was still a ton of fun!  While Facebook has allowed me to keep in internet touch with many of my classmates, the two I've stayed closest with in real life are Kim and Victoria.  The three of us made plans 6 months ago for them to come into town for the reunion--and of course, we were taking our hubbies too!  Even if they weren't as excited as the three of us lol.

In the days before the reunion, as I was playing with Caylee and cleaning house, I was thinking about the Kristen of ten years ago.  It's safe to say that quite a bit has changed!  I've been told I'm still as upbeat and smiley as ever, and I'd like to think that's true.  I'd like to think that I still try to treat people with the same friendliness and acceptance as I did ten years ago.  That said, I'm much more comfortable in my own skin now, even than I was as a high school senior.  My beliefs have changed quite a bit, through an interesting and sometimes mentally exhausting journey.  Dealing with chronic illness has changed many of my assumptions of the way my life would go, but I've learned a new appreciation for every experience I've had and for every ability I still possess.  My tolerance for manipulative and catty people is so much lower than it was--or maybe it's just that I'm better at recognizing that behavior in others and avoiding including them in my life.  It was an interesting internal reflection, and it was entertaining, retracing my steps during the last ten years and seeing how they've led me to today.

Anyway, on Saturday the six of us loaded up and headed to Live!@BayouPlace and had an absolute blast!  It was a great venue--lots of space and good music from our high school days and today--and the food was catered by Chuy's!  Our tickets got us two free drinks a piece (^_^)  and there was also a photo booth AND a green screen photo room!

It was wonderful, and yet surreal, seeing everyone again.  With a few exceptions, we all look pretty much the same, with only slight differences.  I saw Danielle, a friend whom I've known since kindergarten, but haven't actually seen in ten years.  We had a blast together for most of the night.  She is still such a sweet, bubbly person--it's good to know that some things never change.

I got to catch up with friends who meant so much to me during my high school tenure, and heck, some that I've known since the elementary years.  It was even fun seeing folks with whom I  wasn't particularly close.  I learned so much from all of them: lessons about friendship, accepting people for who they are, and how to weather less than ideal social interactions.  From a couple in particular, I learned lessons about relationships and caring for someone else.  Those lessons enabled me to recognize how unique my relationship was with Bryan when we started dating, and to realize that he was the man I wanted to marry.  Most of all, though, though all of those relationships and interactions, I learned to accept myself for who I am.  It was good to see and hear that all of them are doing well and seem to be very happy in their lives!  I just wish that I'd have had a little more time to catch up with some of them...hopefully it won't take us another 10 years to find another opportunity!