Friday, May 18, 2012

Flashback Friday: High School

As I mentioned last week, I didn't peak in high school. (I now recognize this as a good thing, but back then I'd have given anything to have spent those four years at the top of the social totem pole.) At least at that point, however, I'd begun climbing out of the valley that was middle school. But while I had great friends, was a member of Concert Choir, was a peer mediator, and played varsity soccer (which is what put on me on the high school map), I was still very uncomfortable in my skin.

I think many of us were at least a bit awkward and self-conscious in high school, but some kids - usually the popular kids - did/do a better job of hiding these feelings than others.  I didn't know how to hide my awkwardness, so though I swapped out my glasses for contacts, grew out my bangs, and FINALLY had my braces removed, I never really felt like I fit in.

You wouldn't know it from these pictures though.  Apparently I tossed most - if not all - of the pictures of me "not fitting in" and saved only those pictures that made high school look like the time of my life.

Except maybe this first one, which needs a bit of an explanation...  During my sophomore year winter vacation my club soccer team played in an international tournament in Florida.  My entire family came to the tournament, and then when the games were finished and the rest of the team had headed home, the four of us spent a few days at Disney World.  My dad flew home by himself to get back to work, but because we weren't in a rush, my mom, sister, and I drove home together at a more leisurely pace.

Just before we hit the road I tore one of my contacts as I was putting it in.  As (bad) luck would have it, not only did I not have a spare pair of contacts, the glasses I had with me were three years old and therefore weren't nearly strong enough (prescription-wise) for me to wear - at least while driving - on their own.

Since Sara didn't yet have a driver's license, my mom and I were the only drivers for our 26-hour trek and she needed me to periodically take a turn at the wheel.  To do so safely, I had to wear both my glasses and her glasses at the same time (which together provided me with a close-to-correct prescription).  I looked so unbelievably awesome, especially when we stopped for food, gas, etc. along the route home.

Oh, and that's a Tootsie Roll Pop stick in my mouth, just in case you were wondering.
Flashback to my super cool middle school days.
Laura, me, Laura, and Katie in my living room senior (?) year.
I wish I could remember why Laura was carrying
around that box of Cocoa Puffs cereal.
Spring Break 1996 in Jamaica
(We were there for varsity soccer spring training.  We lost to this team
because we weren't used to playing while surrounded by fans smoking
marijuana and having to dribble around cows on the field.  No joke.)
I'm directly in front of the tree in the back row.
Spring Break 1997 in Clearwater, FL
(I still can't believe my parents let me go on this trip sans adults.)
I'm 3rd from the left - the one wearing sunglasses.
Senior Prom 1997
Senior Prom 1997
 I look happy.  I think I was happy.  I hope I was happy.

2 comments:

  1. you look happy. I never thought you were a nerd...but i guess I was one so my opinion doesn't matter much.

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  2. OMG! I am wearing an ESPRIT tee (of course) in that photo and holding my uniform from Fanny Farmer! Summer after Senior year for sure.

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