Flashback Friday

This post brought to you by the fact that I am a million years old. 

#notahighschooler

It's true.  Somehow, I woke up one day as a girl in her late twenties. Girl in her late twenties sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? I should feel comfortable saying woman or lady, but I don't. I've been trying to figure out how to refinance my car for the past three months, there's no way I'm either one of those adult words. But, I sit here, on the eve of my ten year high school reunion, trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm not panicking over calculus homework or stressing over winning softball games any longer.  I own things (like debt), my insurance cards have my name and my name only on them, and I have an IRA, that I know absolutely nothing about, but I have one.  Am I a full fledged adult now?  

It's funny to think back to when I graduated high school (seriously, ten years ago!) where I thought I would be now compared to where I actually am now.  Twenty eight years old is up there, surely I thought I would be married with three or four kids.  The thought of that now is laughable, although the laughter gets quieter and quieter every year.  It's more of a snicker now, letting me know that I in fact, am old enough to do that kind of stuff, and should maybe get on it. (All puns intended.)  So, although silly high school Tina fully expected to be married and finished procreating by this age, like my mom was, I'm totally cool with not achieving that goal just yet. That would have required me marrying somebody I dated in my early twenties and, throw me off a bridge.  I'm glad I waited for this dude.

High school Tina definitely had different ideas for a career as well. There was the super naive side of me that was 100% sure I would somehow make a career out of softball. I was OBSESSED as soon as I picked up my first bat at eight years old. 

You're welcome for this.

Don't get me wrong, I was good. I was really good, but not 'play in the Olympics good' like where I thought I was headed. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I spend my nights working at a sleep lab at a job I never even knew existed.  Even when I started college as a psych major, I never ever thought I would be doing anything medical related, but here I am, three years deep working at a hospital and throwing in the occasional co-ed softball game or two to keep the dream alive.

When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to move away for college, but I was definitely coming back to my hometown when I finished.  I loved growing up in a small town.  But now, Orlando feels like home and the idea of ever leaving here is crazy to me. How did I deal with having to drive 40 minutes to nearest decent mall, two lane roads, and last call being at 1:00, for the love of God?  

I was even wrong about my preference of pets in high school. Your girl was TERRIFIED of dogs.  Like, refuse to get out my car and go in your house if you had one, terrified. I was destined to a life full of cats, and was absolutely fine with that.  Now?  I'm the proud co-parent of a two year old lab mix that I can't and will never get enough of.

I still have some cats running around, so I wasn't completely wrong.

My life is nothing like I thought it would be, but that's ok.  Anybody who graduated high school with me and tells you they are exactly where thought they would be ten years after graduation is either lying to you or actually got their letter from Hogwarts. 

When I bring up the topic of high school around most people my age, they usually cringe.  I loved high school.  There weren't a lot of us there and most of us knew each other since preschool.  I had a genuinely, pleasant high school experience, minus the few hateful idiots who didn't appreciate the extra 40 pounds I carried around through most of high school.  Thanks to Facebook, I see that most of you were nice enough to match my weight loss with a weight gain.  If I were still in high school, this would be where I would tell you to suck it, but I'm an adult now and can use curse words, so, eat shit.

Moral of the story? High schoolers are dumb.

Too cool for school.