Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Home Sweet Home

We returned from our trip to Illinois on Sunday. This return was much harder then the others. I really can't explain why. Ryan and I even questioned if we would ever move back, and I couldn't see why not until we returned back to California. It has been in the 90's and while we were out in IL it was in the mid 50's. Ahhhh yes. I was happy to return back to the smog and sunshine! It may not be the cleanest city. It may not have the lush lawns and cookie cutter houses as the good ole Mid West, but there is something here that would be hard to leave.

We had a busy busy week with a wedding and a surprise birthday party. There were many many friends to visit, and a special "new" one that I couldn't meet in person due to a wonderful cold (Peyton, thanks for making your enterance while I was in town!). I wore myself out staying up super late and traveling many miles around the greater Chicago suburbs to have a round of shots or a round of laughs with the people that keep me coming back. Thanks to everyone for any effort that was made to hang out past YOUR bedtime and have one or two shots with the old couple from L.A.

But as I hugged everyone goodbye, I couldn't help but to feel so alone. Ryan and I started "early": married at 21, first baby at 23, second at 25... all the while my friends lived it up in college or went out for "girls' night" which I was never invited to. Now that my kids are older, I sit back and watch those friends catch up. Getting married, having children, gaining careers. I can't help but to feel 10 years older then they are and the burn of missing out on times that should have been care free and simple. I'm not saying that I would have changed anything that I started and finished or that I would have decided to do anything differently. In another 5 years they will catch up to where I was and life will provide us more to talk about. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to "leave" or a more fun crowd to "return" to. Just don't ever assume that I wouldn't want to know the gossip or that I may not enjoy some random pictures of all you nuts at a random get-together.

With that I give you fare warning of the Ross' return in May. So be rested and ready to go... we'll have a lot to catch up on.

2 comments:

Espresso Mom said...

Come over for coffee, sista! ;)
I followed the EXACT same timeline. Married at 21, Jos at 23 and Finn at 25. Just think though.. We can sit back with our bag of popcorn and watch the "new parents show".

MAR said...

Wooo hoooo!

First rule of "Old Moms' Club" - Don't talk about "Old Moms' Club"

I'll keep that frame of mind of watching the new show... =)