It's been 10 years . . . already?!

So apparently it took me 10 years after high school, to perfect how to act like a high schooler. And from what I can tell, I wasn't missing much. Being the squeaky clean Miss Goody Two Shoes did have its low moments, however at least I stayed out of trouble--for the most part.

I mean, there was that time on Senior Ditch Day I did leave class; however it was after asking for permission from Mr. McDermott first and promising to be back before class was over. Megan, Jeanette, and I rode off in Megan's mom's convertible and we drove down Colorado Boulevard with Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" blaring from the stereo, our hands in the air as if we were in the front car of a rollercoaster and wind blowing through our hair with reckless abandon as if we were Thelma and Louise (and Kim), the trio version. We were real rebels.

And then there was that other time, much earlier in my high school career where Tiffany, Laura, Paula, and I all would write and pass notes to each other through the dividing wall between Mrs. Watson's English and Mr. Gielas' Geography classes in the "fishbowl" room. We did get caught at least once, I recall, although I don't remember much more than a stern look and verbal scolding. (Our teachers knew it didn't require much more for us good kids to feel guilty and return to obedient compliance.)

I think that might have been it for my mischevious moments . . . (Yes, I know--only two!  I really was Miss Goody Two Shoes!)  Raleigh, on the other hand, has great stories of blowing up part of our science lab (as he concocted an explosive "apple pie"), gluing together the desk drawers of the band teacher, and publically urinating before the Parade of Lights in his marching band uniform . . . with the lights still on.  Certainly not the saintly one . . .

As for other high school memories, I have many. Here are a few:

• Sitting in the library during off-class hours with Tiffany, making comic strips which starred ourselves as incredibly realistic-looking stick figures. (Tiffany always had poms in her hands, that's how you could tell our figures apart.)
• Feeling oh so special when the hot blonde senior in my photography class wrote in my freshman yearbook--"Hi sexy" and "Never change"--wasn't it obvious he had a crush on me he just couldn't hide any longer?!
• NOVA videos in Mr. Kimmel's class.
• Making all 3 outs in a single inning in my first high school softball game (sophomore year), including one double-play.
• WAFL my junior year and Great Books, Great Ideas my senior year.
• Classes in the trailers.
• Auditioning for a part in the school musical, "The King and I" my junior year. (To this day I maintain that I was so terrible that I helped my audition partner Nicole get in.)
• Selling lip-shaped lollipops during February in order to raise money for our Spanish Honor Society.
• Similarly, creating--and participating--in all day Spanish immersion to bring awareness of our club to the school. Teachers and fellow students alike quickly became annoyed when I'd raise my hand to speak and would do so in Spanish before giving the rest of the class the English translation.
• Sitting in the auditorium, seeing my name flash on the screen as one of the nominees for a senior favorite ("Most Scholarly") and hearing a girl a few rows in front of me lean over to her friend and say--"Yeah, vote for Kim--she's REALLY smart!". I didn't realize that out of a class of 500+ I was recognizable to the those outside of my circle of friends--I was a "somebody!" Finally!
• Auditioning to be one of the 3 class speakers at our graduation ceremony. (No, I wasn't chosen as one of the speakers, but DID get to turn the tassels and receive my diploma first!)

So Megan and I dragged our men to our ten year reunion (Raleigh would rather leave high school where he left it back in 2000) and had a blast being with each other, reminiscing of where we were back then, and delighting in where we've come since.

Yup, it's been ten years. In some ways it feels like forever and in other ways, just a few moments ago. Oh how much I've grown. Thank goodness.