Reflection

Well, it's been exactly eleven months since I graduated from Northland [the Enviromental Liberal Arts] College (http://www.northland.edu). Sheesh. It also happens to be the day that two of my friends from school, JW & RP, are stopping in to visit. They're on spring break (yeah, when you're in the great white north, spring doesn't come until April, and that's if you're lucky) and visiting JW's parents, who live in Troy, MO. While in the area, they're making a special trip to STL just to see. . . . . me! Yay!

So last night I was ironing clothes to wear for work today, & thinking that I should be sure to get up a bit earlier than usual & make sure that my apartment is presentable and that, whatever I decide to wear, it would still look presentable at 3:30 in the afternoon (remember, I have to be at work at 6am). I was in the middle of debating . . . I hate to admit it . . . how much "stuff" to put on my hair when it occurred to me: JW & RP lived down the hall from me for a year. They've seen me sick, muddy, depressed, ticked off, intoxicated, and -- worst of all -- right after I wake up. They are friends from the days of ripped jeans, snow pants (which are NEVER flattering), waders, ponytails, flip-flops, and even . . . my pleather plants. We would sit around the dorm lounge in our sweats and pajamas while we tried to study in between fits of laughter. The last time they saw me was in May '04, and I can't help but think of how things have changed in less than a year.

To start with a positive, I've lost almost ten pounds -- go me! I have my own apartment, I pay my own bills, and I have a real "grown up" job. I'm no longer taking classes that require me to get dirty or sit hunched over a microscope for hours, so I dress differently. Instead of jeans and a t-shirt, I now spend most of my days in the "business casual" look. The number of skirts in my wardrobe has increased by 300% -- and I actually wear them. More days than not, I wear heels . . . and pantyhose -- blech. I have a makeup bag -- complete with big, pouffy brushes and more than two colors of lipstick. I'm wearing my glasses more often -- mainly because I stare at the computer screen for hours on end. I've been trying to have a social life, heck, I've even been on a few dates! I no longer sleep through an entire Saturday -- JW was amazed at how I could wake up, eat brunch, go back to bed, wake up, eat dinner, and go back to bed until Sunday morning. Come to think of it, I rarely sleep past 9am when, less than a year ago, I tried to avoid classes that started before 9.

Sheesh. Just reading that list makes me tired.

The whole point of this is that I'm excited to see JW & RP, and at the same time I'm almost nervous about what they'll think about the "post-graduation" me. Heck, sometimes I'm not sure what I think about it. I'll take waders and sunscreen over heels and makeup most days, but I like being able to dress up and go out on the town. I'm trying to piece together the different aspects of my personality to form a picture that I'm happy with, and so far I like the view.