For Four Years...

High School 1992-1996

Hollywood has made a mint on the trials and tribulations associated with this tortured demographic.
Not quite a kid, definitely not an adult. That somewhere in between filled with self-consciousness, hormonal surges, and doubt.
Stasha over at the Good Life has initiated this month, November as Babes in the Bleachers Month! An entire month of which one can link up their own memories of high school and join in the road trip filled with what I assume is enough Clearasil and Teen Spirit to keep those memories alive for years to come.

What doesn't scream insecurity and embarrassment more then high school?

1. Friends

My best friends were really a Hodge podge of people whom if I try I cannot truly categorize today.

I don't know how we ended up as a group. I seriously am still perplexed. I have only kept in touch with one friend, Ashley since high school, while others I have reconnected with on facebook and a few others have seemed to fall off the face of the earth. When I look back, I wonder how we found each other and why we stayed friends for those four years?

2. Over- Involvement 

I played field hockey for a few years, did stats for the boys' track team for a year, threw the javelin my senior year, was in the school play my freshman year, the musical my sophomore year, and was an active member in our chapter of SADD, which was the equivalent of the school's activity board. On top of all that I swam on our local swim team year round and worked as a life guard and swim instructor. I did all these activities but honestly, I don't think I ever truly felt like I found my niche. A chameleon would be a good analogy as I always seemed to be doing something else.

3. Academics

I never really applied myself. I never really studied, completed most of my papers and assignments last minute, and didn't put too much extra effort into academics, yet I was a member of the National Honor Society. I did really well in college when I actually applied myself and often wonder what high school might have been like if I actually studied.

4. My Hair

I was not a Jersey girl. I did not tease.

Dye was my best friend.

Throughout my high school year tenure, my hair ranged in shades from light nearly platinum blond, to red, copper, auburn, and brown. I wore it long. Often, bored in English class my junior year, I would french braid it as the teacher lectured. I then chopped it in layers, similar to Jennifer Aniston, aka the Rachel. At graduation, I sported banged bob just under my chin, dyed a light brown with blond highlights.

5.  Self-Image

When I look back at photos of high school, I cannot believe I thought I was fat. I swam four times a week, ate okay and was sixteen, so my metabolism was at it's peak. Athletically built in what seemed a sea of toothpicks, the majority of my friends were about 5 feet tall and weighed around 100 lbs.
As an adult, I understand my complex. However, when I do look back, Damn! I did look good.

6. Mexico.

My Spanish teacher somehow coordinated a trip to Mexico for many of the Freshmen Spanish students. Nearly twenty sets of parents agreed to send their children to Mexico with only two adult chaperons. 

Sounds kind of funny now, but away we went! 

 Staying with a host family for a week, brushing our teeth with bottled water and watching Casper the Friendly Ghost in Spanish, it was intended to be full Spanish immersion. During the morning, small group Spanish instruction while the afternoons were filled with trips to local sites.  My housemate, Laurie and I spoke minimal conversational Spanish, as we had only had 3/4 of a year of it. In the end we may have exchanged five words with our host family.
Our next destination, Acapulco!
We then spent 3 days in Acapulco visiting the beach and a water park.
How a trip to Acapulco was educational, I still don't know?

7. Spain.

Again, this same Spanish teacher got a last minute deal on a five day, four night excursion to the Costa del Sol, Spain during my senior year. With my best friend Ashley and ten other people we flew across the world with only one chaperon to visit the coast of Spain. He had managed to squeeze as much culture into those few days as humanly possible. It was one of the most memorable moments of high school for me.

8. Prom

When I look back, I could kick myself.

I had no confidence with guys.
None, nada, zilch!
 I guess, having seen my fair share of Molly Ringwald movies, watching too much My So-Called Life and finding way too much similarities with those kids in Can't Hardly Wait.  I thought some guy was secretly panning for me and the week before Prom he would finally get the courage to ask.
 Where were you Jake Ryan? Jordan Catalano? Anyone?

Nope. Nothing.

Instead, I assumed I would just go with my best guy friend Jason.

Then, another friend, who HAD a boyfriend, asked Jay to go. Her boyfriend, already graduated and did not want to go. So, I was left alone, to my own devices. Either stay home or go alone.  

I went alone.
In the end, the prom wasn't anything special. I had a fabulous dress, decent shoes, and nice hair. .
Black, Jessica McClintock with a kimono neck detail with two frog buttons and a kick ass slit up the side. I looked pretty darn good if I say so myself.

I more then made up for my lack of formal experiences in college, thanks to Bry's fraternity formals and our senior ball. These events were much more fun and enjoyable. Perhaps the open bar had something to do with it?

9. My car

My senior year, my grandmother got a new car and her mint green Chevy Celebrity sedan was given to me. I named her Ariel, after the Little Mermaid, and drove that thing into the ground. The heater only occasionally worked. I had an ice scraper stuffed into the tape deck to get the radio to work, and the cloth roof was stapled to prevent it from falling. I loved it. I swear my mother was ecstatic to have someone to share in taxiing, getting to school early, pick ups from after school activities, sports, parties, dances, etc.. I loved having the freedom to come and go as I wanted. I had one rule though, if I drove, someone else had to pump my gas. I don't think I pumped gas myself until I was nearly twenty years old.

10. My social life

If I think back, there really wasn't too much turmoil in my high school years. I never skipped class. I always was on time, and if I was late I did have a note. When I was home sick, I usually was sick or at least faking it, but still home. I got in early for club meetings and often stayed late for practice. I actually got along well with my mom most of the time. I never had a curfew, just had to call if I'd be late. I guess I was a good kid. The kind parents wish for, and the kind I hope I have. I never really did anything to give my parents the impression I wasn't responsible and honest, because I really was responsible and honest. Like I said, I never did drugs, smoked, drank only a few times never to the point of intoxication, and never had a boyfriend. They didn't have to worry about dating because I didn't date. Teachers seemed to like me, and I never got into any trouble.

I guess I was relatively boring kid.