Anything But Gray

My cousin's daughter, Josslin, is graduating. High school. So weird.  I can't believe she's all grown up. Looking at Josslin makes me realize just how long I lived in Alaska. I was there almost her whole entire life….it blows my mind when I put my time there into that kind of context…it makes it feel like I was gone an entire lifetime….which is okay, this is not a bash Alaska thing, it just puts the time into a different kind of perspective and it throws me a for loop every once in awhile….LOL

Billiejo threw a huge party for her and we went down to the cape for it and had a really, really good time. Me, maybe a little too good of a time. I kinda sorta maybe fell asleep (okay, okay..passed out…) for a couple hours of it. Not my fault though. Honestly, this time!! Let me explain…

I have a serious, serious problem with driving on the highways down here. Actually, let me correct that, I have a huge problem with being a passenger on the highways down here. I have serious anxiety attacks and it is not fun for me, nor the person driving. So on this trip to the cape I decide I'm going to take a valium to see if that helps ease the anxiety. It worked. Like a dream. I only flinched when I had a legitimate reason to..(car swerving into our lane…lol) and it was a much better ride. Whoo-hoo!

Well, we get to the cape and there is no alcohol. Apparently that doesn't come until later at Billiejo's parties. Well that's not gonna work for me cause I'm still feeling kind of good from the valium and I'm wanting to keep this party going. So Zak takes me to the liquor store and I get some stuff. And then go back to the party and drink it. And then promptly go to sleep. Not good. I actually didn't drink too much, it was the valium that I compeltely misjudged. I took two when I should've only taken one. My bad. Duly noted for the next time. ..

Anyway….the party was such a  blast and I saw family that I haven't seen since I was a kid…..so cool! I love family parties like that, so love when we all get together. Zak had a blast because they broke out the volleyball net and they played some serious volleyball and he gets along with everyone in my family so well. The kids had a blast with all the other kids….it was just a good time all around. My cousin Freddy called and I got to talk to him which was really nice because I haven't talked to him in probably over a year. It was such a great day and such a great party.

On the way down to the cape, we hopped off the highway and drove through my old neighborhood in Boston. So freakin' cool to go through there with the kids and show them where I grew up. I got to show them a few of the schools we went to, the stores we used to go to for my mom, the streets we used to play on, the subway station I walked to to take the train to school. They got a see a subway train for the first time….it was just so neat. And one thing as we were driving around, I realized…no way in hell would I raise my kids in the city! No freakin' way!! LOL I was 8 when we moved back to Boston from Iowa…same age as Jaime is now and I can't fathom for an instant her playing on the sidewalks of Boston….it makes me shudder just thinking it!! I would be so scared….just so nervous something would happen to her. It just made me laugh…how different things are for my kids than they were for me when I was a child. Another great thing about driving through Boston is when we went by our old apartment, I looked at the house, of course, and realized they changed the door!! Remember the pictures I had taken of my old apartment and remember how excited I was that the door was still the same?? In case you don't, here's the post….Boston
Anyway, seeing that door changed made me so, so grateful that I got those pics!! Yay!!!

It was a fantastic day filled with nostalgia and the realization that I am so glad that I was able to move back home. I love being close to where I came from….being close to my roots. And as much as I miss the people in Alaska…there truly is no place like home….