Throwback Thursday: Why I will always attend class reunions

This year marks TEN YEARS since I graduated from undergrad at Saint Mary's College. It's safe to say that my time at Saint Mary's was extraordinary. SMC is where I found my voice, believed in myself enough to publish my writing, and worked harder than I ever had before. Saint Mary's is where I made lifelong friendships that I cherish to this day (shout out to my HoCro girls!). Saint Mary's is where I flourished. 

And tomorrow, my roommate Teresa and I will head back to campus for a dinner together in the dining hall and a party where we catch up with friends. 

This is the only picture on my computer from graduation day! Teresa is in the background on the left. My friend Corrie is center, and I'm on the right. And I have to say, we've all gotten much cuter since this photo. Much, much cuter. 

Everything has changed since our time there. We left Saint Mary's in May 2005 hoping for bigger and better things. Teresa was off to Chicago for a wonderful job she'd scored in the spring of our senior year. I was still unemployed (I was hired as a teacher two months later). 

Five years ago, we were on campus for the weekend for our five year reunion. We stayed in the dorms, ate in the dining hall, and took cabs to our favorite campus bar at night. We were both still in the same cities and in the same jobs. 

Five years ago, I hadn't had LASIK, it rained a whole bunch, and Teresa had CRAZY long hair!

This year will be slightly different. Teresa is now a mother to twin almost six month old babies and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and kiddos. I'm still in South Bend, but I've added an awesome husband and sweet Henry to the mix. There will be no staying in dorms. There will be no going to our favorite campus bar. And there will probably be a pumping session that takes place in one of our cars (because we'll be gone from those babies for a long time!). 

But the point is, no matter how much has changed in our lives, going to our class reunion will always feel like coming home. No matter where we are or what we're doing in life, Saint Mary's still has a piece of us, and we carry it with us too. 

So, to all our friends who will be at reunion, we can't wait to see you! And for all our friends who won't, we'll make sure to tell campus you said hello.