Why You Should Go To Your High School Reunions

{Homecoming 1994 — I wore Betsy Johnson, of course! My sincerest apologies for those fug shoes, though.}

{Dani Diaz, Vivi Duenas and I ( in a Clover Canyon dress that’s on SALE!)}

{Many of my gal pals}

{Vivi, Rebecca and I in front of the greatest sign ever made, obvi}

Meet-ups at Wendy’s and Hobie Beach. Nirvana grunge, Dr. Dre,  New Kids on the Block and booty music. Beverly Hills 90210, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and My So Called Life marathons. Lunch breaks at Chicken Kitchen. Kate Moss and Johnny Depp. Wearing GAP tees,  jelly shoes and Stüssy hats. Tamagotchi virtual pets. Betsy Johnson prom dresses. Marky Mark and those ubiquitous Calvin Klein ads. These are some of my fondest memories from the ’90s. 

And after my 20-year high school reunion (yes, 20, that’s so not a typo) this past weekend at Ransom Everglades, the ’90s nostalgia was in full force. As a reunion committee chair, it was up to Vivi Duenas, Kevin Grossfeld, Rebecca Millares-Macias and I to wrangle as many former RE alumni to this past weekend’s two-day cocktail party and dinner. And the turnout was crazy awesome.

Which brings me to my next point: I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE. As Velveeta cheesy/cornball/syrupy as this sounds, I never imagined reconnecting with my high school cronies would be so emotional, sentimental and merry. While it’s been two decades since we last sat in the lunch room (which felt oh-so-big when I was a teen, and felt entirely snug as an adult) together, it felt like yesterday we were eating PBJs and complaining about things like our boyfriends, SAT scores and the last brutal water polo match. 

As the evening unwound, it was insightful to learn how some of my classmates went on to be successful professors at MIT, surgeons, composers, actresses, financial gurus, therapists, film makers, teachers, artists and such. Some of them are devoted stay-at-home mothers. A handful are happily single. There was tear-inducing news, too. Some friends lost a parent. The topic of divorce was brought up. A few are seeking a career change because they aren’t happy with the status quo. 

As we chatted over cocktails, it hit me like a ton of encyclopedias (because Google was non-existent back then) that we all behold a common bond: We shared our most formative years together. The boyfriend/girlfriend drama! Our first time getting drunk! The wonky side effects of puberty! Heartbreak. The stress of applying to college. Meeting the expectations of our parents. Prom! More boyfriend drama! Dealing with teen acne. Those over-the-top bar mitzvahs! Learning to navigate this scary thing called life.

For me, there was something deeply re-affirming about a renewed connection with this group of people with whom I spent most of my time with as a teenager. And I’m forever grateful to be their friends. As for those of you reading this and questioning whether you should attend your future high school reunions (because I sure did get blank stares which read “You weirdo” for telling people I was going to attend mine), GO. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the onslaught of fond memories from your halcyon youth.

The takeaway from the celebratory weekend? We’re all the same the same freaks we were in high school with different sorts of problems, challenges, highs and lows. And that’s okay.