To all my friends from home,
It's been a little over a month since we went our separate ways, and we're all experiencing so many different things now. Some of us are still home, getting used to the feeling of walking around town and not running into somebody else. Some of us are a little further away, experiencing life in the big city and starting to be independent. Some of us are upstate, feeling miles away. Some of us are even halfway across the country, really experiencing life without the rest of us.
There are so many things that are different here, and so many things that I miss without you guys. Even though we're all out making new friends and getting new experiences, there are some experiences in life that are only reserved for us as a group, and I'm going to share some of them.
I miss our bonfires.
I miss opening my back gate, hanging up the Christmas lights, starting up a fire and just letting everyone wander in at their own pace, arms laden with chips and soda and all sorts of delicious snacks. I miss getting sticky marshmallows in the grass (which Lola happily ate up for us, silly dog) and laughing so hard we cried when we played Baby Do You Love Me. I miss getting calls from the neighbors at midnight not to yell at us for the noise volume, but to compliment us on our karaoke skills. I even miss cleaning up after you guys afterwards.
I miss our Super Bowl parties.
Watching the game together became a yearly tradition that I looked forward to, and I only wish could happen this upcoming year. Making our own betting pool, eating snacks, and laughing about the commercials always made the night enjoyable. So did the boys screaming at the TV with gusto while the girls chose teams solely because of the uniform colors or the attractiveness of the quarterback.
I miss our spontaneous hangouts.
Nothing beat a text message telling everyone to meet at the pier in half an hour. It was so relaxing to just grab some ice cream, pop open our trunks, listen to music, and toss around a football. (Well...the time that Matt broke his nose with said football may be something I don't necessarily miss.) Times where we didn't have set plans were always good for the soul.
I miss our planned hangouts, too!
Sure, this one took a lot more work -- getting our entire group to somewhere like the movies or a trampoline park was always a production. However, it was worth it to see the looks on everyone's faces when all 20-something of us strolled into a restaurant or a public venue.
I miss seeing you in school every day.
Not all of us went to the same school, but for those who did...seeing your grumpy faces every morning in first period, or sneaking up on you at your locker in between classes, or trying to beat you out of the parking lot at the end of the day always kept things interesting. Being able to share laughs about teachers, courses, and dreaded AP tests made the high school experience a little less horrible all around.
I miss being your "Squad Mom."
From organizing our get togethers to reminding you all to get your flu shots or study for your tests, I miss mothering you all. Even though I still do it from Fordham (get your flu shots, people!!!), it's not the same as being able to give you a nice big hug for a job well done or a slap upside the head when you need one. (And trust me, we all need one from time to time.)
So even though we're separated for the time being, it's making me smile to reflect back on the things that we've done, and I can't wait for the next upcoming break to get to do them all again with you guys. Even from miles away, I love and support you all, miss you like crazy, and will always remain your Squad Mom.
All my love,
Jess ("Squad Mom")
