Saturday night I went to a party.
That could be a story enough for my post considering the extent of what my social life has looked like the past 2 years of graduate school in Utah (drinking a margarita sitting on my couch while doing work in my sweatpants surrounded by my dogs. Or if things get really crazy...drinking beer with Kate while making a pizza in my sweatpants surrounded by my dogs and Kate's dog).
I passed my SLP Praxis exam Saturday afternoon and despite the fact that I would know all of 2 people at this party and it was a "villian" dress-up party...I was ready for a night out - any night out. I would have agreed to sipping red wine at BINGO with grandma if that's what was offered. I just needed to get out of my Miniwanca sweatpants, away from my bed, still covered in various notes and studyguides and flashcards, and be among the living again.
I also was starting to hold lengthy, philosophical, very satisfying conversations with my dog, Luna. Enough was enough.
So when Ian invited me to our mutual friend Dave's birthday party...I got so excited I picked up wine and cupcakes on the way (again, the socially awkward thing pops up...in retrospect moscato and red velvet cupcakes to a guy's birthday is a little bit odd. But when I'm nervous, I bring gifts. I think he appreciated the effort - or was too tipsy to notice. It was his birthday, afterall.)
Ian even was nice enough to tell me I wasn't required to wear a costume. Now, normally I LOVE a solid costume party. I'm the first one to ruin a favorite outfit as a small sacrifice to a good time in a great costume. But the mention of an invitation to a costume party where I don't know anyone brings to mind a certain movie where the main character shows up in a bunny suit to find that no one else is dressed up.
Erring on the side of caution, I attempted to sneak out of the house in my typical jeans and a t-shirt...until Nanc caught up to me and demanded to know why I was heading to a costume party sans-costume.
The perils of living with my parents.
Half an hour later, dressed head to toe in black and lacking cat ears, I headed to the party dressed as cat woman (I'm a cat - duh). Honestly...it was what I pretty much always wear. Some form of spandex running clothes in various shades of black. But I would never wear black running tights with a black knit sweater. Cat-woman, I was.
Turns out everyone at the party was dressed far better than I was in the most awesome display of well-researched, well thought-out costumes known to man (turns out this group does not mess around with a theme party.) The only problem was that even though the costumes were great, I hadn't a clue what anyone was. I thought one girl was Morticia Addams - she wasn't. I thought a guy was Abraham Lincoln vampire slayer - he wasn't (although to the death I will claim he most certainly was - tophat and all.) Corporate business man, lumberjack, Russian spy, anime character...wrong, wrong, wrong. And yes I am aware that a lumberjack and Abraham Lincoln are not villians - perhaps they were being ironic? And even when everyone clearly explained what they were to me, they might as well have been speaking Chinese (and one guy actually was - incredible!). Turns out I'm not the most well-rounded person when it comes to pop-culture, or any culture for that matter. I spent too many hours staring at pavement and talking about boogers with pre schoolers.
I was, however, able to pick out the 3 other girls dressed as cat woman.
I recognized about 2 songs from the playlist (both from cartoons) and choked down a sip of tequila (still burns as much as I remember). Glasses were broken, beer was spilled, laughs were had. People fell down, danced, remembered old inside jokes, made new inside jokes, and asked about careers. I guess it isn't odd because I'm now in my mid-20's, but I was astounded that everyone had an occupation. The last time I was at a party the question of the night was "what's your major?" now it's, "what's your job?". When did I start hanging out with adults? Actually, when did I become an adult?
After a good few minutes being awkward desperately trying to remember how to 'mingle' - how is it that I used to be SO GOOD at this in college? What has Utah and grad school done to me?? - I actually had a great night. Turns out Ian's girlfriend was my wonderful pre-school and kindergarten best friend - bringing to mind the notion that I was probably better at choosing friends in pre-school than I am as an adult. She was positively, and still is, charming. And of course St. Louis being St. Louis, there was at least one other person who went to my high school and a few others with whom I had mutual friends. But in all honesty it wasn't hard to blend in, they were the warmest group of people I've hung out with in a long time. St. Louis being St. Louis.
As per usual, in the end there was nothing to fear but fear itself (Franklin Roosevelt always did know best.) At one point I had a chat with someone who said I was brave for moving all around the country by myself and living in all these different cities - and I later laughed because he had no idea that I almost didn't even go to the party because I nervous. The thrills of being an acquaintance...you can be anything you want to be.
I think I have a blog post formulating in the back of my mind on the topic of fear, but it's not quite there yet. Give me a couple more days and a few more long runs to nail down what I want to say about being scared, fear, what I fear as compared to what others fear, etc. etc. etc. My mom once told me that she wasn't scared of anything (and if anyone knows my mom - I believe her.) and I think I just borrowed that mentality from her from a little kid, I can't think of one thing I'm actually, deep down scared of.
Nope. I just thought of one.
Bear spray.
But that's a story for another time.
-Katie
That could be a story enough for my post considering the extent of what my social life has looked like the past 2 years of graduate school in Utah (drinking a margarita sitting on my couch while doing work in my sweatpants surrounded by my dogs. Or if things get really crazy...drinking beer with Kate while making a pizza in my sweatpants surrounded by my dogs and Kate's dog).
I passed my SLP Praxis exam Saturday afternoon and despite the fact that I would know all of 2 people at this party and it was a "villian" dress-up party...I was ready for a night out - any night out. I would have agreed to sipping red wine at BINGO with grandma if that's what was offered. I just needed to get out of my Miniwanca sweatpants, away from my bed, still covered in various notes and studyguides and flashcards, and be among the living again.
I also was starting to hold lengthy, philosophical, very satisfying conversations with my dog, Luna. Enough was enough.
So when Ian invited me to our mutual friend Dave's birthday party...I got so excited I picked up wine and cupcakes on the way (again, the socially awkward thing pops up...in retrospect moscato and red velvet cupcakes to a guy's birthday is a little bit odd. But when I'm nervous, I bring gifts. I think he appreciated the effort - or was too tipsy to notice. It was his birthday, afterall.)
Ian even was nice enough to tell me I wasn't required to wear a costume. Now, normally I LOVE a solid costume party. I'm the first one to ruin a favorite outfit as a small sacrifice to a good time in a great costume. But the mention of an invitation to a costume party where I don't know anyone brings to mind a certain movie where the main character shows up in a bunny suit to find that no one else is dressed up.
Erring on the side of caution, I attempted to sneak out of the house in my typical jeans and a t-shirt...until Nanc caught up to me and demanded to know why I was heading to a costume party sans-costume.
The perils of living with my parents.
Half an hour later, dressed head to toe in black and lacking cat ears, I headed to the party dressed as cat woman (I'm a cat - duh). Honestly...it was what I pretty much always wear. Some form of spandex running clothes in various shades of black. But I would never wear black running tights with a black knit sweater. Cat-woman, I was.
Turns out everyone at the party was dressed far better than I was in the most awesome display of well-researched, well thought-out costumes known to man (turns out this group does not mess around with a theme party.) The only problem was that even though the costumes were great, I hadn't a clue what anyone was. I thought one girl was Morticia Addams - she wasn't. I thought a guy was Abraham Lincoln vampire slayer - he wasn't (although to the death I will claim he most certainly was - tophat and all.) Corporate business man, lumberjack, Russian spy, anime character...wrong, wrong, wrong. And yes I am aware that a lumberjack and Abraham Lincoln are not villians - perhaps they were being ironic? And even when everyone clearly explained what they were to me, they might as well have been speaking Chinese (and one guy actually was - incredible!). Turns out I'm not the most well-rounded person when it comes to pop-culture, or any culture for that matter. I spent too many hours staring at pavement and talking about boogers with pre schoolers.
I was, however, able to pick out the 3 other girls dressed as cat woman.
I recognized about 2 songs from the playlist (both from cartoons) and choked down a sip of tequila (still burns as much as I remember). Glasses were broken, beer was spilled, laughs were had. People fell down, danced, remembered old inside jokes, made new inside jokes, and asked about careers. I guess it isn't odd because I'm now in my mid-20's, but I was astounded that everyone had an occupation. The last time I was at a party the question of the night was "what's your major?" now it's, "what's your job?". When did I start hanging out with adults? Actually, when did I become an adult?
After a good few minutes being awkward desperately trying to remember how to 'mingle' - how is it that I used to be SO GOOD at this in college? What has Utah and grad school done to me?? - I actually had a great night. Turns out Ian's girlfriend was my wonderful pre-school and kindergarten best friend - bringing to mind the notion that I was probably better at choosing friends in pre-school than I am as an adult. She was positively, and still is, charming. And of course St. Louis being St. Louis, there was at least one other person who went to my high school and a few others with whom I had mutual friends. But in all honesty it wasn't hard to blend in, they were the warmest group of people I've hung out with in a long time. St. Louis being St. Louis.
As per usual, in the end there was nothing to fear but fear itself (Franklin Roosevelt always did know best.) At one point I had a chat with someone who said I was brave for moving all around the country by myself and living in all these different cities - and I later laughed because he had no idea that I almost didn't even go to the party because I nervous. The thrills of being an acquaintance...you can be anything you want to be.
I think I have a blog post formulating in the back of my mind on the topic of fear, but it's not quite there yet. Give me a couple more days and a few more long runs to nail down what I want to say about being scared, fear, what I fear as compared to what others fear, etc. etc. etc. My mom once told me that she wasn't scared of anything (and if anyone knows my mom - I believe her.) and I think I just borrowed that mentality from her from a little kid, I can't think of one thing I'm actually, deep down scared of.
Nope. I just thought of one.
Bear spray.
But that's a story for another time.
-Katie
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