Reflections upon my college town and why you can never be 22 again.

This past weekend, I made my annual trek with one of my best friends to our college town for our SIXTH Homecoming weekend since we graduated. This subject matter began as a Facebook status, but then it just got super long and that's just obnoxious on Facebook. It's why God invented blogs.

So this weekend is always a girl's weekend and we happen to run into people we know all weekend. Each year, the amount of people we know is fewer and fewer. We have a fantastic time no matter what, because the reason we go is to hang out with each other and not with other people. We met in college and began our friendship there, so it's fun for us to take a stroll down memory lane for one weekend each year.

The weekend generally shakes down like this: We both take Friday off work so we can take our time getting there to get settled, relax and maybe walk around campus. This year we got lunch at our favorite bar and took a long stroll around the prettiest campus in the world.

We plan to stay "in" on Friday night, which we totally did this year. We were staying at a bed and breakfast of sorts that we chose because it's central location in the town. You just a rent a room, so the owner had other renters. All of them were older than us. They ALL went out Friday night and we stayed in. After some wine, we decided that we were being really boring, so we went out. It was a ball, but we stayed until the bar closed.

Then we get up in the morning and go to the Homecoming parade. Due to our super convenient location, it's literally right outside our door. My friend Jess decided she neded coffee, so we walked up the parade route to check out the new Starbucks in the campus library. It was amazing, but after awhile, you tend to forget just how long the walk is! We walked A LOT this weekend. But, the weather was perfect and with a campus as gorgeous as ours, how can you not love it?

Starbucks was amazing.

Saturday of course brings the football game and other shenanigans. We had another girl friend join us on Saturday and she wanted to see the changes in the Union again, so we took yet another tour. That night, we went to "our" bar again. We tried to sit and talk to catch up on each other's lives, until it got too loud. Then we were on the dance floor the rest of the night, both dancing and trying to dodge the flailing arms of the drunken coeds around us.

Sunday, we got up and came home, happily exhausted, but so ready to get back to the real world.

It is now Monday afternoon. I have been dealing with a sore throat and hoarse voice all day so I'm constantly remined of the weekend.

I learned a few things:

1. I am no longer 21. I require a ton of sleep and I. AM. EXHAUSTED. Last night, I actually dreamt that I was sleeping. I'm either the most boring person in the world or I'm utterly pooped.

2. I can no longer eat like a college kid. Grease is not my friend. Of course going to a place with so many memories, you have to hit up your old favorite restuarants. One was the bar we loved that has amazing cheeseburgers and cheeseballs. Saturday night, we HAD to go to our favorite Mexican place. I'm pretty sure there was a layer of grease under the lettuce on my taco salad.  I woke up one morning craving my Shakeology shake and to go on a run.

3. I am no longer relevant. I am not exaggerating when I say that every girl we saw was wearing black leggings with boots. They varied of course because college kids want to SEEM original while fitting into the fine social infrastructure that is a college town. Some leggings were ripped, some were floral or patterned. Some boots were UGG boots, some were combat, yes, COMBAT, boots. I look older just because I wear a full oufit. Someone in the line for the bathroom looked at me and said, "you must be an alumna." Nope kid, I just missed the memo. But then again, they don't know what memos are either. *sigh*

4. As sad as this is to announce, I have outgrown that town. You're probably thinking, DUH... you've been out of college longer than you were in. I know. but let me 'splain. In that town, I learned a LOT about myself. A lot that helped to form who I am today, 6 years later. I had my first apartment there so it was literally MY FIRST HOME. Not with my parents or with family. It was ALL MINE. That town has always held a special place in my heart largely because of that.

5. Finally and most importantly, I missed my husband. Yes, yes, I know there's a certain gag factor with that statement. But he's considerate and kind which are two charateristics that college guys, both in 2013 and when I was there, are definitely lacking. The boys we bumped into were strangers, but they were rude, crass and inappropriate. I have grown up and my home is now with my husband. I was anxious to get back to what is now my home.

I love my college, the town and my experience there. More so, I love that I made lasting friendships with 2 of the girls I got to see this weekend. I hope that we always schedule time together each year to hang out, reconnect and reminisce. I will never pass that up. All my life!