I don’t need to explain Girls Weekend anymore, do I? We’re entering the third decade of these trips, so if you know, you know.
We met in Middle Tennessee the first weekend in March, and I was climbing the walls waiting for Lesli to come get me so we could get on the road. I’m not normally like that, but on this particular Friday, I was wholly tapped out. I could not manage to answer another question, take care of another need, or look at my to-do list another second. The year started on a much more positive note for me emotionally and mentally, but I am still in need of some new scenery. The walls are closing in.
We rented an AirBNB in the Bellevue area, an old converted barn with cozy beds and plenty of room. And since we were in Middle Tennessee, we had to stop by MTSU for a walk-around and updated photo on the steps of the James Union Building, the place where we became friends 23 years ago.
There is nothing – literally nothing – like nostalgia. It is my favorite drug. We time traveled back to our favorite memories while also wondering if our memories were accurate. The farther away we get from 1998, 1999, and 2000, the more we tend to forget. Thank God there was a map for us to use.
The stars finally aligned for Lesli and I to see Avery, Susan’s daughter, play hockey. She’s been playing for years, but we’ve only seen her in photos and cell phone videos. Lesli had never been to a hockey game before, but I’d been to see the Thrashers years ago when Atlanta still had a team. We were in for an incredible treat! We were completely amazed and impressed at how tough these girls were.
Per usual, Girls Weekend went by too quickly. I wish I could say that I came home refreshed and ready to finish the school year with renewed vigor, but that would be a lie. Like I told Chuck, I’m the kind of tired a weekend won’t fix. And still, anytime with my girlfriends is worthwhile, so I’ll always take what I can get.
We are currently in the middle of spring break, and while I wish I could tell you I’m laid out on the couch binging Wanda Vision, I’ve got a to-do list that seems unusually long. I’m finishing the design of our co-op’s yearbook, getting started on the May issue of the magazine, planning the rest of the semester for my four English classes, planning for next year’s classes, getting the boys squared away for their upcoming school year, and doing everything else I can think of to avoid grading 55 midterms. (Grading is the absolute worst thing about teaching.)
Thank goodness spring is coming. I think I need the sunshine.
