Alan and me in the pool-house showing some love…

I grew up in Santa Clara, California and haven’t been back since 1996, when my grandpa died. It’s now 2017 and I live in eastern North Carolina and have for 21 years.

A high school friend of mine had been staying in Greenville, South Carolina for the last several years, and every time we tried to connect, something else came up.

My friend, Alan, is in the process of moving from Greenville up to Bellingham, Washington, and made plans to stop here Monday afternoon, stay over, spend yesterday here, then head out this morning, but hit a glitch and didn’t get on the road until yesterday afternoon.

He arrived at the house last night just before ten o’clock. We fixed him a lime twisted gin and tonic and fed him and talked until the wee hours of the morning. We ended up falling into bed (he in the guest room and the hubs and I in our room, just to be clear) and rolled out of bed after ten this morning.

After several cups of coffee (nectar of the gods, we both referred to it as, because old habits die hard) my husband started the grill and we feasted on Salmon Kyoto, asparagus and jasmine rice for brunch.

Alan had a few things to pick up, so I drove us to the local store and the entire time, neither of us could shut up! From ten last night, until his departure shortly before five this evening, we reminisced about our childhoods and caught up over several decades.

That said? Simply talking about our childhood in the ‘burbs of the Silicon Valley brought back a LOT of forgotten memories. It is like having an opportunity to re-live your childhood with someone that shared that experience with you on the opposite coast from where we grew up! My husband was born and raised here and runs into childhood friends regularly, and he “has” that. I don’t. Having Alan here today, and my girl Vicky here last November was like revisiting my childhood once more, and honestly? It feels really good to get back in touch with one’s ‘local’ roots, even if you are a whole country away from where you grew up!

The sad part, to me, is when they leave. 😕 While I am always happy to see my childhood friends? It’s like the memories that they dredged up with me leave when they do, and I’m left as the lone Valley Girl in the South.

Just being us after too many years! ❤️

When it was time for him to head out? My heart broke the littlest bit, because there went another link to a really happy childhood. I felt the same way when Vicky rolled out last year.

All of that being said, I just got notification of a multi-class reunion to be held at Central Park in Santa Clara in September of 2018, so you know I will be saving pennies to get us out there!

Until next time…