Loving Vegas Living: High School Reunion

I really, really didn't want to go to my 10-year high school reunion. I hated high school and had few friends in my class. But I found a cheap ticket to Tampa on Southwest for that weekend, so I figured I might as well go while I was in town. To my surprise, high school reunions can be more fun than high school itself! The rivalries have ended and the attractive and popular people have fallen from their pedestals. What's left is a bunch of people who grew up together and genuinely care about the direction that each person's life has taken.

The weekend festivities were held at the Holiday Inn Harbourside, or Hamlin's Landing as we called it in high school. Ironically, this is where all of the high school parties were held, so it all came full-circle. Friday night we all met up at the poolside bar. We spent the evening breaking the ice and trying to remember who the heck everyone was. It felt like a regular night out on the town, except that you knew every person at the bar. It's amazing how alcohol can break the tension of being thrown into socializing with 100 people you haven't seen in 10 years.

There was dinner and dancing on Saturday night. It was nice getting the awkward hellos out of the way on Friday night because on Saturday we could just kick back and enjoy the evening. I went with Keri and Jessie (and Jessie's husband, JR), my two track buddies.

Here is a view of the intercoastal from the hotel balcony. This view really made me miss home, though the humidity that weekend reinforced my love for the desert.

I flew out Sunday night, and we were almost grounded in Tampa due to thunderstorms. Right when the stewardess announced that we could use our electronic devices, we were flying right over Seminole, and I was able to take this picture.