It doesn't feel like it could really have been twenty years ago....

twenty sounds like such a BIG number, and surely I'm not that old ;)

I had lunch yesterday with a friend from college that I haven't seen in at least 12 years. I have to admit, I was nervous. I mean, it's been 12 years and what seems like a lifetime of experiences that we've both had that are very separate :) She was always so amazing and talented and self-confident :) I was more on the shy side and definitely not as self-confident. And, as for talents - well - I'm a little short on talent, then AND now LOL And, honestly, 12 years and a bunch of kids later - well - the body is not exactly in prime condition anymore - with sags and bags and don't even get me started on the wrinkles and rolls :) But the desire to reconnect overcame all those misgivings, and I'm so glad it did :)

It was so nice - not weird or awkward, and being nervous was all for nothing ;) It was so fun to catch up and reconnect and find out what has happened in her life and the lives of her/our friends over the last 20 years. It doesn't seem like that long ago we were hanging out at the shaved ice place, sitting in French class, or giggling about the hot boys she knew (and boy did she know a lot of boys LOL). She had a huge impact on my life, showed me a lot of things that shaped how I wanted to be as a person, introduced me to other people who changed my life. I think the years that Lisa, Wanda and I hung out changed my life forever, and definitely for the good :) I'm grateful that we were friends then, and that we could reconnect now - past the yearly Christmas card :) I like the people we've become as we've grown up even more than the people we were when we were younger - and I think we were pretty great when we were younger - but the experiences that life has thrown at us - well dang, they sure look good on us ;)

So, Lisa, thanks for braving a broken car (glad it's fixed) and coming and meeting me - not to mention driving in my very messy/dirty van (did I mention we pretty much live in that thing and that the kids were SUPPOSED to clean it out on Saturday - but amazingly seemed to weasle out of that job..... Sooo embarassing - but hey - I'll get over it :) Lunch was yummy and catching up was great. It was fun to remember way back when, I really think that was the best summer of my "youth", and I'll be forever grateful for French 101 :)

Can't wait til we do lunch with Wanda - it'll be an adventure!