Drive Down Memory Lane

Friday was a really good day. Two of my three classes were cancelled, so I didn't have to be at school until 11:15, and that class was even done early, so I was only in class for about 40 minutes on Friday. Yes!

I ate a quick lunch and then headed to work for a few hours. After I was done with work, I stopped over at Altar'd State, which is one of the cutest stores ever, to pick up a scarf I saw earlier. Last week was a super hectic week (lots of meetings and a big economics test), so I thought I deserved a little treat :) And what better treat than a cute new chevron infinity scarf (my first infinity scarf too!)?

A new Starbucks opened over that way too, so I stopped in for a frapuccino. It was a pretty perfect afternoon!

It was a gorgeous and sunny afternoon, so I was driving with the windows down and the music up. It felt good to be able to completely relax after such a crazy week.

I started driving home and decided to go home a different way for a little change of scenery and since I had some extra time because my last class had been cancelled.

I ended up driving by my high school, and before I knew it, I was driving past the garage and heading back down the streets I always used to drive after school.

My junior and senior years of high school I babysat every day after school. So I would just drive straight to their house after school.

It was a drive that I had done hundreds of times over the years, but I hadn't done it since the middle of May.

It's funny how a drive can bring back so many memories. I got a little sad driving by my high school and turning down those familiar streets that seemed so familiar, but yet so far away.

Nothing and everything has changed.

Does that make any sense? I feel like college has changed everything. High school seems like so long ago. And yet, I drove by and saw that my calculus teacher's car was still parked in the same spot. I still drove the same streets.

My hands could practically guide my car without any thought as I had made that drive so many times. It got to the point where I would pass certain landmarks at pretty much the same time each day. It was almost weird to be doing it again.

I drove past the school where I kids I used to babysit go to school. As I turned onto the street, I saw familiar kids walking on the sidewalks.

Kids that I don't actually know, but that I had seen everyday last year as I waited outside on the other side of the crosswalk.

It's weird how life goes on the same way even when you aren't there anymore.

Life can change so much in such a short period of time. I mean, it was just five months ago that I was waiting outside of that school everyday to pick the kids up.

A part of me misses it.

As I drove by the school, so many memories flooded back to me.

I couldn't help but smile though at the memories. I'm happy that I had that part of my life, even if that chapter is over.

I'm also thankful that I have the opportunity to take that drive down memory lane whenever I feel the need to.

Friday morning, I had spent the day spending time with classmates I didn't know five months ago, working at a job I didn't have five months ago, and chatting with professors I didn't know five months ago. Then in the afternoon, I was still able to take that familiar drive down memory lane and see the places and people I did know five months ago.