It had been several years since I had been back, so I was prepared for some of the sensory differences between Wisconsin and Los Angeles. In Wisconsin, it feels like the grass is greener, the streets are cleaner, the buildings are smaller, and there is more breathing room. But I wasn't prepared for the extreme sense of nostalgia. I wasn't prepared for the homesickness for a time and place that have already passed.
Visiting places that I had once known well--like my old neighborhood, former schools, and favorite stores-- was a bit of a thrill. Some things were different. A lot was the same. I would drive down streets and associate childhood events with the buildings and streets. Re-visiting my hometown was like seeing an old boyfriend several years after parting ways. There was comfort and easiness, but an awkward knowledge that it comes from a past intimacy and not from the present reality.
I am still in contact with several friends from high school, and we agreed to attend the reunion together. I think we were all a little nervous about the reunion for different reasons. But I think that we all had fun in the end. It was interesting to see the changes and paths my former classmates took in life. Plus it was really fun to see what they look like now ;) Though a few people had not matured and still lived in their high school personna, most people were living their lives in the present. Did people hang-out with the people in their high school cliques? Yes, but it was only natural. These were the people they knew best in school and the people they most wanted to catch up with. I know that I was guilty of this.
The funny thing is, through all of the weight gain, balding, and wrinkles, we all seemed to see each other as we did in high school. We were comfortable with each other in these roles, but I would like to think that we were mainly grown-up enough to not limit ourselves and others to our high-school selves.
I REALLY disliked high school. However if I had to do it again, I would do a lot of things the same. They were awful experiences, but necessary to build character and strength that I have needed at various times in my life.
It has been a few days and I finally feel like I am back in the present. The jet-lag on time travel is something fierce.
On a side note for those of you looking for a celebrity sighting:
I hung out with The Pig.
