On August 2nd, the boys and I traveled one more time this busy summer to my hometown in Northern Michigan to attend my high school class reunion. It was intended to be a quick trip where we'd arrive the night before, I'd leave the boys with my parents the next, go to the reunion and head back to Ohio the next day.
A 10 year reunion didn't come together five years ago. It was attempted but fell apart two years ago. This time my classmate Cindy put it all together mostly on her own. She created a website using http://www.classcreator.com/ that kept us informed and created profiles for each of us that signed in.
When Cindy announced the event, to be held at a Great Wolf Lodge, back in April, I was going for sure. Then I got sentimental about my recently divorced sister in Georgia, remembering the summers past that I intended to visit her but was either pregnant, nursing a newborn, or the timing just wasn't right. My boys were older now, seasoned long distance car travelers already, so I told my hubby what I'd like to do and he was all for it. However, with gas prices at just below $4.00 a gallon, he told me to make a choice; go to my class reunion or go to Georgia.
Oooohhhh, the desicion! I was torn. It would be great to see old friends I hadn't seen in many years, some being lost for the full fifteen, but I was already in periodic contact with the people I held the closest since that parting in 1993. Although I was curious how some people would be, I decided to visit my sister. I hadn't been to Georgia since her wedding in 1995 and could look forward to a well planned schedule proposed by my sister (with no pencil space to spare!) and her two children. (See my blog entry, We're Back From Georgia! to read how hard Karyn ran us! :P)
Obviously I went to my class reunion anyway, so what happened?
Well, my hubby was in charge of a major project at his job. He had a lot of preperation to do, simulations to perform, kinks to work out. With us going to the beach in North Carolina again this year (which we've already returned from but I haven't written about yet) he was running out of time. He called me from work on the Wednesday before the class reunion and told me that he'd be working through the weekend and to go on up north and attend.
He didn't have to tell me twice!
So the boys and I headed up that Friday. We got there about 7:00 and took over my parent's house once more. I headed to the city in an empty van the next day and did some shopping by myself, enjoying the time alone. I did want my boys there when I saw the caurosel and another mom pushing a double stroller...but only for the amount of time it took to walk by!
The reunion was set to start at 6:00. When I arrived I was surprised at how many people were already there! If I hadn't decided back in the spring to visit my sister in Georgia, I would have made a day of it at Great Wolf like many of the people attending did. We were given a package deal with havig the event there. Rooms were reserved at discounted prices that included tickets to the indoor waterpark the resort is known for. However, I had only bought my ticket two days before the event and missed the lower rate deadline. I also didn't have a care provider for three boys lined up to stay with them in the room we would have shared. I actually didn't think anything of it until I got there and saw the waterpark through the glass walls on the second floor and heard of the fun other children had, and were still having. Oh, well.
There was an open bar and a lot of mingling, although you could see invisible lines drawn, outlining cliques of the past reunited. I'm guilty of it myself. When I arrived I focused on the group of girls I spent my time with the most. A large meal was provided with more talk and the intermittant flashing of cameras. Time flew by and before I knew it, it was 10:30 and I had a 45 minute drive back to the house. I said my goodbyes and left the room with a smile on my face.
I had been the only person there without a significant other!
Out of 52 graduates, only 17 of us actually attended, one is not in the picture below. Some people said weren't coming because they'd be on their honeymoon or currently lived in Japan...what excuses! LOL
