Recently in the news there was some debate over the wording on the diplomas* at my (or our for some of you reading) alma mater which caused me to actually read what mine said. While doing so I discovered that it has been a decade since I graduated from college. I guess I should have realized at our 10 yr high school reunion that this milestone wouldn't be too far behind but it snuck up on me nevertheless. So what better time for me to get out the scrapbooks and photo albums and relive those college days. Excuse the quality of the pictures - this was before the time of digital cameras. And widespread use of cell phones - having one actually would have saved me a lot of money in phone bills. Here's my awesome i.d card picture to start.

College 10-14 years ago wasn't just about i.d cards with your social security number on them (we must have lived in a different world back then ;)). It was about getting your first email address (and a few months later being able to write a web page in HTML).

It was about room/suitemates (Jenisteen, Kimi, Naseem and later Mary-Alice) from different backgrounds (but all from Texas), different religions (Zoroastrian, Baha'i, non-denominational, non religious) with different majors (communications, business, engineering, anthropology) and different interests (athletics, newspaper, sororities) who may have never found each other were it not from random roommate selection and mandatory campus living (with maid service!). I couldn't have ended up with better ones had I picked them myself.

With these girls I did lots of fun/dumb things - like going to a party dressed in bubble wrap, saran wrap and tinsel and jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

College was about studying abroad and meeting new friends there. I went to Australia because they spoke English there and studied Chinese. Which landed me an internship that sent me to China (once while in college and many many times after).

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It was also about finding out that you are not as good as soccer as the rest of the team.

And taking up lacrosse instead.

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Of course there was lots of swimming (also not as good as the rest of the team but good enough to be on it) and more good friends.

Which led to triathlons - and since I have a case of the it's-my-blog-and-I'll-post-what-I-want-to/I-only-have-one-hard-copy-of-this-picture-and-if-I-lose-it-I'll-be-really-upset/I-can't-believe-I-ever-had-abs-like-that-no-wonder-I-am-smiling/put-down-the-BBQ-potato-chips-please I am posting this picture to remind myself that everyone looks better with a tan (it is the opposite of fat remember?)

It was also about studying. Less for me than my engineering roomies though.

Is it sad that I still have (and wear) that sweatshirt and those slippers?

Ten years ago? Wow. Really? I guess this is where I thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to learn so much (and my mom for making me go out-of-state)(and Coach Ryan for a fateful early morning phone call - he didn't care much for time zones or he thought all swimmers are up by 6 am). It was an amazing four years of which I am still reaping the benefits.

*So about that diploma thing - Someone apparently wanted Trinity to remove the phrase "in the year of our Lord" so they started a petition (which they are entitled to do) and it got some press. Honestly I had never even read it before and doubt most people have even noticed that verbage on their diplomas (now that I am looking two of ours say that and two don't). Not to mention that the people who are bringing it up decided to go to a school named "Trinity" University. Not that it currently has religious affiliation, it doesn't, but still. So anyway, the university respectfully denied their request and I particularly like what the current president said:

"Democracy is not letting a small number of people have their way. Democracy is listening to the different voices and making an informed decision."