The Road Home

Last month, I traveled back to Southeast Texas for my 30th high school reunion. I think that makes it official I've crested the hill of mid-life and will soon start the slide down the other side. Old as dirt. Old enough to know better. Older but wiser. That last one could be open to debate sometimes.

After spending several days in the Texas hill country visiting with family and taking care of some personal business, I drove three hours to eat lunch with the college senior and see her new apartment. Nothing like fall football season in the south to make for a memorable kick off to her last undergrad year. Flanked by her two friends at a football game and enjoying some halloween weekend tailgating - life is good!

Thinking my usual homing pigeons skills would kick in, I blithely shunned the GPS for the next part of my trip. I should have arrived at the hotel in three hours, it took more like four because it seems my remembering skills aren't as good as they once were. I missed a turnoff or two and ended up with the downtown Houston skyline outta my front windscreen. Hello, Texas.

All in all, it was a lovely weekend. I got to visit with a friend I've known since 8th grade that I've kept up with all these years, through husbands and kids and moves and jobs and everything in-between. We had lunch at a great local restaurant - site of my wedding rehearsal dinner back in '93 - and enjoyed some good ol' cajun cooking. I'm not much of a meat eater, but by golly I do love their boudain balls. And the fried green tomato pickle chunks were an equally fabulous appetiser. That's one of the few things I miss about this area of Texas, the amazing seafood.

We visited the cemetery where my granny is buried and put some fall flowers on her grave. I always get a bit choked up and teary eyed every time I go. 

The reunion was nice, though rather sparsely attended. Some folks have changed, while others still retain enough of the look from their youth for me to recognize upon sight. And social media has certainly helped since I see recent pics of them there, too. 

Who are all those old guys and girls, lol?! They're the parents of kids and now grandkids. They've spread their wings, built successful careers and gotten comfortable in their own skin over the years. They've been across the state, country or globe and have lived to tell the tale. And I had a good time catching up with them.