another successful commencement.

I'm back at home in my bed in SF, recovering from the weekend. Not gonna lie, I'm extremely tired and my body hurts, so that's a sign that it's been an excellent Commencement. I had a good time hanging out with the '07 sorority girls, seeing all the '06ers at their 5 year reunion, and hanging out with some old friends. I feel like I got to see almost everyone I needed to, all while eating my favorite Providence foods and drinking a ton of alcohol. Success!

Highlights of the weekend include:

• Getting hit on and propositioned by a 19 year old freshman. I have to give it to homeboy, he was bold. I kind of admired the cockiness, except for that fact that he's about my youngest brothers' age, but it takes balls (and probably a bunch of liquor) to hit on not one, but three 25 year old chicks. He was highly amusing, super fucking cute, and smelled nice, so I didn't mind too much. Plus, that whole cougar thing is kind of hot. 
• Getting drunkety drunk drunk at around 4pm at Kartabar. I had three specialty martinis (really should've stopped at two) and was pretty blitzed wayyy too early. Luckily, no sickness was involved, just lots of giggling and disorientation.
• The march. God, the march is always so epic for me. I cry almost every year, watching all of the alums and new grads march down the hill, cheering each other on. To quote one of my sisters who just got her masters from another university, "Have you ever been to a graduation at another school? They're total BS - no one does it like we do. Everything else is kind of disappointing." Agreed. Cannot wait for next year, when it's my five year reunion and hopefully we get a ton of returnees.

Now I'm at home, being good and cooking for myself. I plan on making three meals today, in addition to cleaning, watching tv, and finishing what's turning out to be my fave book of 2011 - Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. I feel blissfully happy and looking forward to the summer!

Happy Memorial Day!

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Commencement!!!! Yay! I cannot wait to blow this hot dog stand and get my booty to Providence. Just found out that some unexpected sorority guests will be there, so it will be tons and tons of fun. I honestly don't know how I've survived these past four years without having them in my life on a daily basis. It's also fitting that at a time when I've been thinking more and more about friendships and how mine are changing and evolving, that I'm going to be spending time with some of my closest friends.

Of course, my life is a shitshow and I haven't done any of the things I have to do for tonight (my flight is at 10:50pm). I'm not packed, I need a mani/pedi, and I have a fuckton of work to do and errands to run. So I'm working from home to make sure I get all this taken care of. I'm also kicking myself for not starting earlier since I went to the Glee concert last night and didn't get home til around 12:30am. It was so much fun and I love getting to see the work girls from my old team and hanging out with MB.

I love all of the different homes I've created for myself - New York, San Francisco, and Providence. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend in my college home - the first place where I really broke out of my shell, tried new things, and learned to be myself, regardless of what anyone had to say about it. Catch you next week, SF!

we are ever true...

Wow. Commencement. As usual, it was a fabulous time. A lot tamer than last year's events, but I think we can agree that me not puking on Thayer St. is an improvement. It was so awesome to see all of my girls. I miss AXO so much. Getting to see all of the alum was so nice and I loved watching two of my favorite AXOs graduate! It makes me feel so old. I remember when they were freshmen and young and innocent. It's crazy to me that I've been out of school for two years. Where does the time go?

Highlights included drinking pretty much 24/7 all weekend. Campus Dance was beautiful, except for the fucking bug bites that are all over me. I have one on my stomach!!! How did a bug get there? It wasn't like I was in a bikini. I was wearing a normal strapless dress. Ugh. I didn't get to see any theatre this time, but I did go and see the Jabberwocks 60th anniversary a cappella concert. It was so worth it. They had members from the 50s and 60s come sing, and then a group from the 70s-80s-90s and lastly from 2000s. It was so touching to see these 70-something men who all felt so passionate about their time at school that they were willing to travel from all over to come give a concert. It was absolutely adorable. I've been singing hits from the 50s and 60s all weekend. =)

I guess what really gets me all teary-eyed is how dedicated the alum seem to be. I see so many people who come back year after year to remember the shared craziness that was college at our particular institution. I feel like I rarely see that anywhere else - people actually think it's strange that I go back year after year, but it doesn't seem odd to me. It seems perfectly natural because it was this wonderful shared experience that was fairly unique and has really shaped me as an individual. I think I would be a fundamentally different person had I gone to another school. At midnight on the night of Campus Dance, when everyone was singing the Alma Mater, I thought I was going to cry because it was so beautiful. Seeing all of those people, from all over the country and all over the world, all gathered to celebrate one place and one point in their life.

As usual, watching people from the class of 1934 almost made me lose it. I only hope that if I'm still alive for my 75th reunion, that I can make the trek out to Providence to celebrate what may end up being if not the best, then the most formative four years of my life.

graduation redux!

Tomorrow I head back to Providence, RI to celebrate the Commencement of the Class of 2009. First of all - holy shit, it's been two years since I graduated! Second of all - I cannot believe that the class of '09 is all grown up. I totally remember when they were freshmen. It's insane that I'm going to get to see them graduate and enter the 'real world' with the rest of us sorry saps.

I'm really excited to be going back to Providence. College is one of the few times in my life that I look back on with complete and total fondness. When I think back on my alma mater, I'm not at all confused or unclear about how I feel. I loved college - plain and simple. Even when my circumstances sucked (remember how awful freshman and sophomore years were?), I still loved the school itself. It's such a special place for me - the whole vibe is just so different there. I miss it like you have no idea - the freedom, the openness, the intellectual stimulation. There is nowhere like it (although SF is certainly close as far as freedom and openness go).

In that cliched way, college was where I found myself. It was where I discovered who I am and who I want to be. I had so many ups and downs there, but it was all fundamental to my growth as an individual. Sometimes I get so depressed because I did so much in those four years and I haven't even come close to doing 1/10 as much in the 'real world' as I did at school. Theatre, mock trial, sorority, female sexuality workshop - hell, I even did Buddhist meditation!!! I was so involved and active. Now my life is fairly routine - get up, work out, nap, work, home, tivo, sleep. Repeat. Intersperse the occasional social activity. It's sad, though. I haven't been cultivating my interests or joining new activities or making new friends. Life has been so stagnant. I need to fix that.

I'm really just looking forward to spending 3 days with my sorority sisters, seeing old friends, getting all dressed up and pretty and hitting up some of my favorite places from that period of my life. So Kartabar, Kabob n Curry, Spike's (sadly the one on Thayer closed, but I hear there's still one in the mall), and The Creperie - here I come! 

Catch you all on Monday when I'm back! =)

commencement, part the second.

My all-time, absolute favorite part of Commencement happens on Sunday morning. All of the alumni line up and march down the hill by class stopping so that the older alumni are closer to campus and the newer ones are further. People bring their children, their families, etc. Then the graduates assemble and walk through the line of alumni as we cheer them on and celebrate the amazing accomplishment of graduating. Following that, the staff march and we clap and yell for them, acknowledging what an important role they have in making the school what it is. And lastly, all the alumni march through the graduates while they cheer us on, celebrating the common bond we share over a deeply unique experience.

To me, this is the essence of life at my particular alma mater. I love the fact that we all love this place, this school, SO much that people come back 70 years after they've graduated to celebrate a new class, to cheer them on and welcome them to the alumni community. It's truly breathtaking. It was the one part of the ceremony that made me want to cry, both as a graduate and an alum. To see the faces of those long graduated so proud and happy, yelling and shouting for us in our caps and gowns. And even as an alum, to see the graduates look at us with pride. I've never felt so connected, so at one with a group of people that I've never met.

It makes me want to go back every year. 

two posts in less than 12 hours? huh?

Yes, I'm posting again, because God knows if I don't keep writing, I'm going to forget everything and it'll be irrelevant. It's interesting how long I've kept up with this blogging thing. It's probably the longest I've ever done anything. About 5 years. Insanity.

ANYWAY. Commencement. Yes, we never discussed Commencement. First off, let me say, I had a fabulous time - I saw everyone I wanted to, everything was good, and I missed my alma mater oh-so-much. I'm going back next year, fyi.

The weekend really kicked off on Thursday, when most of the freshman unit friends came in. Dinner in Boston (Japanese hot pot! yum!), followed by the campus bar. I love that bar SO much. So many good memories of that place. Then Friday, the sorority chicks arrived and MB and I hit up the mall, buying makeup and getting my nails done. Typical girly stuff. That evening we went to a young alumni event that highlighted just how awkward it can be to be back at school. All that small-talk, shooting-the-shit bullshit. I like it sometimes, but honestly I just want to hang out, drink, and be candid with my favorites. Campus Dance = FAB. I got to see MC, who I hadn't talked to in forever. I miss her sooo much. But, she'll be on the East Coast this summer, so I'll be sure to schedule some time with her.

Saturday was spent getting some hangover brunch, mimosas/bloody mary's (wow I drink too much). Then I saw Jekyll and Hyde and fell in love. No, not with the super-hunky lead actor, but with the show itself. The music is so powerful. I cannot stop listening to it. And I was really proud of my friend, who was the director of the show. I miss theatre in this sick way that I can't even describe. I need to find a way to incorporate that into my life. Thank God, I'll be in NYC, theatre capital of the world! 

So Saturday night. Let's just say, I truly outdid myself this time. Went to the Alums in Boston/NYC reception, had two glasses of Chardonnay (I think it was Chardonnay. It was some kind of white wine. Whatever. It's booze, I just drink it and don't ask any questions). Post-that, went to my FAVE martini bar and got four martinis. Whoops. I ate a little bit there - some lettuce so I wouldn't bleed to death and these yummy pesto gnocchi. Then the campus bar, which was pretty much my undoing. I was already kinda drunk when we got there. Proceeded to order myself a grasshopper. Then College BFF bought me a whiskey sour. That's when things start to get fuzzy. I remember talking to Frack (The Banker's BFF) and then I remember talking to the Banker. Remember inappropriately touching said boy, followed by flirtatious witty banter and something about my chest. Then I took a shot with the mock trialers. After that, I had the Banker buy me a drink and then I lost track of the evening a bit. Apparently, I was ignoring my friends (at least according to MB, haha) and I was being my normal obnoxious drunk self, where I think people are talking about me and I'm all over the place. I swear, I get drunk and I'm on one of two modes - ADD or intense fixation on what's in front of me. That night seemed to be ADD night.

I remember peacing out with some mock trialers (NOT the Banker - got sick of him) and then going to a suite. Then pizza. I bought two pieces and immediately felt like I was going to be ill, so I ran across the street and totally vommed outside near a tree. The next day, while packing, I couldn't understand why my shoes were all dirty and gross. Um, yeah. That would be from puking on them. So yeah, booted outside, went back to my friends. Then passed out at the room. Lovely.

So yeah, that was part I of my weekend. The fun, out of control part. Part II later.

in providence!

Finally in Providence. It's so weird to be back, especially since I'm one of the first ones here. I stayed with freshman roommate last night, will do the same tonight, and then tomorrow I move into the AXO room. I'm so excited about seeing everyone. It's kind of overcast and gray today, so it's not very pretty. I haven't really seen anyone I know. I've seen a couple of people I recognize walking by, but it's not enough that I want to jump up out of my seat at Starbucks and say hello. I just can't wait to see all of my sorority girls and all those people I've haven't seen in a year. Going out to dinner tonight with some freshman unit peeps which should be awkward. Haha. Well, awkward and fun. What? I'm just being honest.

Of course, I had to go and get my period this morning, which SUCKS because it means I'm going to have to be careful about drinking, since for some reason I have issues with alcohol and my period. Also since I'm on these damn blood thinners, I don't think I'm allowed to consume Midol the way I used to. I think I'm definitely going for the black dress and not the white one. Haha. Hopefully this is a fast cycle, because my last night with TG is on Sunday and I will cut a bitch if I can't hook up.

Anyway, I haven't felt particularly nostalgic yet. Shocking, huh? Maybe it's because the people and things I associate with Brown haven't arrived yet. Tomorrow I'll probably be full of deep thoughts and ruminations. But, for now, I'm just enjoying Starbucks and looking to go grab toiletries, lunch, and an umbrella.

So much for deep thoughts.