The Not My Class Reunion
Reunions are a funny thing. We are expected to meet up, years after we left an institution we were forced to be in and catch up with people who we haven't seen since we thought that tops with crotch snaps were AWESOME. They are not. They are stupid. Tops with crotch snaps are terrible. I have not been to a reunion before and I still haven't because last night was not my class reunion. As I mentioned in earlier posts, this reunion is for the class of 95. I was the class of 99 but left at the end of tenth grade. I finished my last two years at the American school in Moscow and I loved it. I did not have the best time in Vienna when I was a teenager. I was a teenager and ergo I was angsty. I also was a hopeless romantic and falling in love every 5 minutes and of course it was constant unrequited love because I looked like I look today: hobbit-like.
Since being back in Vienna for the past 11 years, I have had some contact with old friends and only last year, met up with a friend whose sister was in my grade. Over Facebook I have gotten to know some more classmates and bless Facebook for making it easier for me to fulfill my stalking tendencies.
Last night was a meet up for all alumni but it was primarily for the class of 95. I showed up just past 7 and walked into Lukas which used to be the main AIS hang out for all the upper classmen. I was happy to see two people I had had dinner with on Tuesday so I didn't feel the need to stand in the corner and look at Facebook on my phone... stalking people. The bar filled up quickly and it was amazing to see so many familiar faces. But that was one sided. A few people came up to me and had this pained look on their face trying to place me and I quickly blurted out "Class of 99! You don't know me!!! You don't have to hug me!!" One friend suggested I say I was in the 10th grade with them all and see them look guilty for not remembering me. I decided to take it one step further and said that we exchanged friendship bracelets back in 93. Poor nice people being trolled. I probably should have taken it even further than I did by whispering in their ear "I still have your lock of hair." But I strangely showed restraint. I met some lovely people and one woman told me she reads my blog. I always get a thrill when somebody I don't know tells me this. I can see page views and daily they are in the hundreds but I always assume that somebody has stumbled across my site while inadvertently trying to Google a woman in a tubetop gif. Many many drinks were had and it was a fun night but it got late and it was time for me to go home. I decided to walk home in heels which was not by best life choice. But it was a great way to burn off the booze and to think about the evening.
There is something about a reunion that makes you revert to your childhood. Repressed memories and hang ups brim slightly at the surface, and yet, I realized how far I have come as a person. I am happy with who I am and I do love my life. As I wrote on Facebook: It was fun being 14 again for just a night. But I think 34 is far better. I have boobs and a bank account now. The only thing I wish for is that I could go back to me 20 years ago and assure my sad self that things do get better and it doesn't matter if you are popular or not because one day, you will probably end up in a shady bar in beautiful Vienna drinking beer with nice adults who have children and partners and have been through so many life experiences; good and bad. I felt like I got a little bit of closure last night and that was nice. I feel like 2015 is truly shaping up to be a year of tying up loose ends and the start of new things. And of course, in 4 years it will be my 20 year reunion so I should probably start looking into Botox.
Since being back in Vienna for the past 11 years, I have had some contact with old friends and only last year, met up with a friend whose sister was in my grade. Over Facebook I have gotten to know some more classmates and bless Facebook for making it easier for me to fulfill my stalking tendencies.
Last night was a meet up for all alumni but it was primarily for the class of 95. I showed up just past 7 and walked into Lukas which used to be the main AIS hang out for all the upper classmen. I was happy to see two people I had had dinner with on Tuesday so I didn't feel the need to stand in the corner and look at Facebook on my phone... stalking people. The bar filled up quickly and it was amazing to see so many familiar faces. But that was one sided. A few people came up to me and had this pained look on their face trying to place me and I quickly blurted out "Class of 99! You don't know me!!! You don't have to hug me!!" One friend suggested I say I was in the 10th grade with them all and see them look guilty for not remembering me. I decided to take it one step further and said that we exchanged friendship bracelets back in 93. Poor nice people being trolled. I probably should have taken it even further than I did by whispering in their ear "I still have your lock of hair." But I strangely showed restraint. I met some lovely people and one woman told me she reads my blog. I always get a thrill when somebody I don't know tells me this. I can see page views and daily they are in the hundreds but I always assume that somebody has stumbled across my site while inadvertently trying to Google a woman in a tubetop gif. Many many drinks were had and it was a fun night but it got late and it was time for me to go home. I decided to walk home in heels which was not by best life choice. But it was a great way to burn off the booze and to think about the evening.
There is something about a reunion that makes you revert to your childhood. Repressed memories and hang ups brim slightly at the surface, and yet, I realized how far I have come as a person. I am happy with who I am and I do love my life. As I wrote on Facebook: It was fun being 14 again for just a night. But I think 34 is far better. I have boobs and a bank account now. The only thing I wish for is that I could go back to me 20 years ago and assure my sad self that things do get better and it doesn't matter if you are popular or not because one day, you will probably end up in a shady bar in beautiful Vienna drinking beer with nice adults who have children and partners and have been through so many life experiences; good and bad. I felt like I got a little bit of closure last night and that was nice. I feel like 2015 is truly shaping up to be a year of tying up loose ends and the start of new things. And of course, in 4 years it will be my 20 year reunion so I should probably start looking into Botox.
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