College. Oh. Boy.

So yesterday I had the pleasure of hanging out with a couple of the best friends a gal like me can have. Although we only live an hour apart, we don't all see each other as much as we should. We were college roommates and now we are all at different phases in our lives, married with children, married with no children, and single. It doesn't matter how long it's been, when we're back together the memory train comes into town.

I love reminiscing.

I love memories and I love retelling the stories and listening to other retell their versions of them. About two years ago I was back in my college town (also my hometown) and snapped some photos of some memorable "landmarks" from my college days that will coincide perfectly with the ride down college memory lane...let me share a few with you - well - just the ones that wouldn't make our families cringe too much...

1) Ah. Where most of the memories were held, our place on Musken Road.

This house was witness to a lot of laughs, singing, music, odd eating (say plantains and raw spaghetti), an on again off again friendship/romance with the neighbor boys, a snowball fight with those boys which resulted in one of us getting belted in the face, a couple of ridiculously crazy parties that were miraculously never interrupted by the police, lots of crying, lots of drama, the house smelling like a toilet at certain parts of the day, my parents bringing us groceries, getting caught next door when I was supposed to be at home (oops! Sorry Caroline, you tried to protect me), McMurry football player visits, a couple of ACU baseball players, and a few HSU soccer player visits (we were equal opportunity), running into the glass slide doors, having a landline phone that actually rang, having a 200lb television 5 feet in the air, scaring the crap out of my roommates, taking pictures of drunk Jen and still holding them over her head as blackmail, one of us kissing a gross boy at the McM bonfire (not naming names), staying up in each others rooms just talking and laughing.

2) Nathan, Josh, Ryan (and sometimes) Andy's place

This was my second home junior year. There was a party every weekend, but of course I didn't need a party to hang out there. These guys were like serious brothers to me and some of my best memories stem from here like, listening to Nathan play his guitar, getting grossed out at Josh dipping, Andy sounding like a pothead ALL the freakin' time, Ryan doing the "dance of the pool boy" to Pink Floyd's Another Brink In The Wall, theme nights (Big Lebowski Drunk Bowling Nights, French Nights, Camp Pal's) sitting on the roof until 4 a.m.

3)  Matt, Brandon, (and sometimes) Andy's

WHERE exactly did Andy actually live?

Another common hangout, usually with Caroline. The carport was screened in and I think I have to say this house out of all of the houses was probably the most filthy. Most of the memories generated at this place are mostly blurry now but I remember always sitting outside, listening to music, trying to decipher what these guys were talking about as they were always in an altered state of mind, talking to the old guy that lived in the pink house next door, and one of the other roommates I didn't know too well always getting upset because he was trying to become a cop and most of what took place here was illegal.

4) The Taint. (or, Luke, Brian, Melvin, George, (and at one time) Hance's place

After the guys in the aforementioned houses began to graduate (they were older than me) then many gatherings occurred here. Again, there was usually something every weekend, and although I wasn't as close to these guys, it was still a place I remember frequenting during my last days in college. Most of the shenanigans occurred in the garage, or Taint, as it was called. Best memory was the music room, listening to some early recordings of Micah P. Hinson from Luke's computer, playing a socially awkward game of truth or dare in Brian's room where subsequently many of us just ended up falling asleep in his room, a little bit of nakedness, and mangina.

5) Jeremy, Roy, and Dwayne's aka Sodom and Gomorrah

Sigh.

What to say? Fun place to go, a few parties, ugly twins (Roy!), and drunkedness.


6) The best part, us.

Jen: musical muse, never judging, always humming or singing, incredible Ms Crabtree impersonation, an even better Mystical impersonation (DANGUH!)

Christina: the sweetest one, always concerned, rarely rude or moody, the responsible one, and now a pretty awesome mommy to two precious boys

Kimberly: so beautiful yet has no idea, trusting, good girl with a wild streak, our unofficial fourth roommate

And Me: a hot mess, loud, social, and to this day loving these girls like sisters, even if I made myself the black sheep

In hindsight I'm not sure how I even survived those four years with some of the ridiculousness that occurred. All I know is although I don't talk about all of it, I don't regret any of it. College is more about experience than the piece of paper you get when you're done. Lucky for me, I got the piece of paper, the experience, and all of the memories that goes along with it.