It's funny how something can spark up nostalgia

Well, HELLO November!

 Hi, it's me again!

Ok, bare with me.....

I am taking this blog back a few years.

Let's say...23 years to be exact.

Nostalgia kicked in today with this photo in Venice, Italy.....

{Mitch, Randy, me, Christy-my sister & Robin} 

First, I have to mention that I lived in Vicenza, Italy

with my family from 1986-88.

 My father was military so we were stationed at Caserma Ederle, Italy.

An amazing experience.

No move is easy, especially being a teenager with friends and boyfriends BUT

this move probably proved to provide me with the most abundant group of amazing people.

 Life long friends that I continue to keep in touch with to this day.

I've tried teaching my children that although moving can be hard and change isn't always fun...

there are reasons our paths take us different places.

 There are lessons to learn and people to meet, help and learn from on this journey called, life.

Sometimes, we are even put in other's paths so they can help us as well.

Ok, so back to the photo...

My wonderfully dear friend Randy AKA" El Hano"( Also in this photo)
 had this photo up in one of his facebook albums.

I have quite a few photos from this particular adventure in Venice, Italy

 but not this one. I was so excited to see it!

Just a little side note/story:

Randy... was my first true boyfriend in High School.

Although, he wasn't in High School. He was in the military.

 Just two years older than me and he was the cute M.P. 

who checked both military and civilians through gates on post.

He would flirt with me and stop our car every time we came on post just so he could say "hi".

I think we even made him plates of cookies and hand delivered them to his gate.

 For a year we flirted and he finally asked me out in a small grocery store on post.
 I said "yes".

I would get sweet cards and love letters from him while he worked his station during the middle of the night. Sometimes, the letter was on lined paper. Other times it was just on scrap paper but each letter was wonderfully sweet and loving and romantic. I still have those! I have more memories of being in his silly beat up car. We drove everywhere. If you read his BLOG he describes his car and the passenger seat that was a death trap. It was.
And of course we shared this amazing day trip to Venice.

My family and I left Italy in May of '88 and he did not come bid farewell to me. That hurt a little. Obviously, we did lose touch. It would have been so nice to have had internet, cell phones way back when.  Over the years I wondered about Randy. Later, he told me he tried locating me and even sent numerous letters to addresses he thought I was at. Never got them. It's funny how things don't turn out sometimes. It has been wonderful to catch up with him and talk about old times.

{Robin, Christy and Me}

I have been nostalgic lately.
I think most of it stems from watching my daughter go through all of these wonderful and exciting adventures of her own and remembering all of the good times I had at her age as well.

***

I am so blessed to have met and known these wonderful people I call friends. We meet for a reason.

Sometimes, we aren't sure why we meet the people we do in our lives.
 Sometimes, its to learn a lesson. Sometimes its to teach us a lesson. Sometimes, its to fall in love. Sometimes, its to create friendships that will never end.

I do believe we are pre-destined to meet everyone we come in contact with along lifes journey.

I am greatful to my dad/the military for moving us so much.
 For if we hadn't, I wouldn't have had such amazing experiences and friendships and yes...
 even love come into and out of my life.
Not just while living in Italy but my many other moves and people that I have met in my life 

AND

Continue to meet to this very day!  

I hope you don't mind but I wanted to share a few more photos of my past.

Hope you enjoy them

I was a cheerleader for Vicenza American High school in Italy. I was always very shy and this really helped me snap out of my shy mode.

 Some of the best times.

I am the one on the far right

El Paso, Texas
1988-89
Homecoming

I have been thinking of my own high school experiences lately

as I have enjoyed watching my daughter Lunden experience her homecoming game,first real boyfriend and upcoming homecoming dance. These are moments that you never forget.
 And more than likely will be people she will always have in her life from this moment on.

So, I am the one in the far right of this photo (above).

 I was Senior homecoming Princess. Can I just say that this experience was a blast!
 Sitting on the back of a convertable during the homecoming game waving to everyone, walking with my dad as I am introduced onto the field at the homecoming game.
 Just very special moments to me.
Ok, more about El Paso below.......

 El  Paso, Texas

Senior Prom 1988

(Pardon the dress. I don't know what I was thinking.)

After leaving Italy we moved to El Paso, Texas for my senior year.

I really had to dig deep to find thing's to be greatful for when we moved there.

1. My family was together

2. We were healthy

3. I had made two friends that year:

Shannon and Santos

Shannon

Was and still is my best friend.We don't get to see one another often but we talk often.

 She and I had some amazing fun. UTEP games/football players, 

sleep-overs, trips to the mall.Swiss cake rolls. haha
 Girl stuff.
 She is an amazing friend to this day and I love her, my sorella, with all of my heart.

Santos

We met on the bus. A silly school bus.

I didn't have my drivers license yet.
 In Italy you can't drive until you are 18 so I was taking the bus until I took drivers Ed classes,etc.
It's so amazing to me how thing's work out and if we both hadn't had to ride the bus....
would we have met?

 I don't remember if he asked me to sit with him or I had to because there wasn't room elsewhere.
All I know is Santos and I sat together on the bus, together from then on.

 

We talked about our day, life and shared similar interests.
  He rode the bus to my bus stop which was on the military post where our housing was.
  He would walk me home and while we walked,
 we talked more and more.
 I didn't realize it but he worked at the teen center as a DJ just down the road from our house.
 The teen center is where we got to know eachother more.
 I watched him D.J, he would get a slow song going and then come slow dance with me,
 we just loved hanging out together. 

Well, we were watching the Super bowl game (1989) as he sat in an over sized leather chair he asked, 

" I bet you won't come over here and kiss me"....
Well, I did, and the rest is history.

We spent senior year in love. The most love I had ever been in.
We were joined at the hip. If we weren't at his house he was at mine.
I went with him to different D.J. gigs. We went to a Bon Jovi concert.We went to the mountains with his family. He taught me how to make taquitos. YUM!
After graduation my family was transfered to San Antonio, Texas. My heart was so sad. I didn't want to leave this amazing relationship. It broke my heart. I had to say goodbye.

I gave my heart away that year. I don't think I ever really got it back.

. Just one more special memory of someone I know I was meant to meet and have in my life.
  

We were  high school sweethearts and probably the one man
 I thought I would be with after high school.
 Life took us different directions all those years ago.
 It would be 21 years before we spoke again.
When we finally spoke it was as if the years had never parted us.


It's funny how thing's work out and.....
It's funny how sometimes they don't.
 I am proud of his accomplishments and what he does to serve his community.

Summer 1988

El Paso, Texas

Me and my summer posse. We did everything together. The pool, dinner out, water parks,etc.

Can you believe I haven't found them on facebook yet? Where are you guys??!

Well, I must say-

It's funny how a photo and watching my daughter go through similar experiences

could spark up nostalgia so greatly in me.

Thanks for taking this journey with me today.

Until next time....

Bloom where you are planted AND don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

If you don't, you could miss out on some pretty amazing people and experiences!