In Gainesville Again...For the Last Time?

Gainesville changes once you graduate. Many of your friends have moved on. And for those that haven't yet, that may speak for itself depending on the situation. I have been back a few times since I graduated a year ago, and each time I feel like Gainesville slips away a little more.

I've been in Gainesville a few weeks now. The first leg of my cross-country journey, and it will probably be one of my longer pit stops. Some of my friends that stayed in G-ville for an extra year to complete MBAs are in the process of moving to their future cities of success. Many younger friends have gone home or abroad for the summer.

And then there are the hard core old friends.

I find I can't quite keep up with these people. Up to before I got here, I was waking with the sun (sometimes earlier if puppy Kaya demanded), and going to sleep after a couple of glasses of wine, maybe a few chapters of a good book. An exciting evening would be a happy hour with neighbors or coworkers, most recently my momma. Now, these Gators start drinking at noon (or later depending on when they wake up). Maybe beer pong by the pool, followed by a bar, then a house party till 5 in the morning sometimes. I don't think I ever stayed up till 5 when I was a student! When 2 AM comes around, I'm usually itching to crawl into the shower and then the bed, in that order.

This is making me feel old. Many nights I have opted to stay in, giving my roommate a lame excuse, and avoiding the nightly text messages. Yes, I get the "you're lame" text occasionally, but that's ok. My pajamas and doggies and a good book make parties in gross apartments filled with cheap beer and people I don't know who seem like boring torture. I feel quite satisfied with being "lame".

I went to one party last week. So bored. By 2 AM I was dying to leave, but none of my group was. So what did I do? Found an empty corner of the couch, slipped my shoes off (old party rule: you can only mess with a passed out person at a party if their shoes are on: I hoped the young'ns were aware of that), tucked my purse under my head and went to sleep.

No, I didn't pass out from drinking too much. It's impossible for me to drink enough cheap beer to get drunk. I was just bored, and worn out from making small talk over loud music.

I was probably the grouch, and laughing stock, of the party. But I don't care.

I'm too old for this. How people do this everyday (which is everyone here but me!), is beyond me. and why would you want to? Some days are fabulous ended with a quiet night, and maybe a glass of wine or two.

But also there's the fact that if you drink that much, you don't really live. You can't get up early while it's still cool enough to walk the beautiful trails here. You can't get up early enough to have a long and fun day floating down the Itchatucknee River. Usually you're fighting off a hangover until it's time to drink some more. (Did I mention that I don't think I drank nearly as much as a student? I never saw this side of it before....)

I'm glad I came back to Gainesville this last time. I am completely ready to leave my college days in the past. Did I have the best times ever in college? Yes. But it
s time to leave those days as good memories, and continue on. As we get older, I think what we appreciate changes. And that's ok. It's part of getting older. Though I never understood how some of these kids live in these apartments. I have become nauseated in certain apartments/houses and thank my lucky stars I was always a neat freak, as far as college standards go. I always appreciated a clean bathroom and kitchen.

As I move on northwest of Gainesville, I'll be leaving a part of me in Florida. But that's ok.

But I still went to the museum today. I am a nerd. I also like free things to do, and wandering around the exhibits gave me time to clear my head, while learning about Florida's history. Yup, Florida's history for me now too I suppose.