The Final Bell

There is something about returning to the place you went to High School. For some reason it makes you feel all giddy again, the terror panics, and drama ensues and then peace runs through the minute you see your dearest friend that made all the growing up pains worth it.

Heading into Cheyenne, I was washed in memories of days gone by...come on now...it has been seventeen years since I walked down the hallway as lockers banged shut signifying the end of another great chat session before the bell buzzed loudly and teachers started handing out tardy slips. Even with the drama of high school, there are places in this town that will remain etched forever within the hidden gems of my youth:

~ F.E. Warren A.F.B...a place that breaths history, class, and beauty. This would be the place that I would fall in love for the first time and have my heart crushed a year later, learn to drive and receive my one and only speeding citation, instill a sense of the ever present military family, and where I would fell madly in love with old historic homes.

~ Governor's Residence...how many girls do you know head for tea at the Governor's residence? Cheyenne is so small and exudes the spirit of a "hometown," that every year, girls from the two local high schools are invited to a tea celebrating the ending to their senior year.

~ Frontier Mall...the site of my 1st job. Working in clothing retail was a boost to my already growing self-confidence and taught me the true value of saving my earnings as well as giving me the first dose of the importance of time management.

~ Football field...all was always well when I was screaming my head off for our football team... #1 in state for two of my three years. "What do we like? T-Bird Meat!!! How do we like it? RAW! RAW! RAW!!!" still pulsates through my head when a good game is playing and I want to shout out something.

~ Music Room...time spent in show choir gave me some of the best time singing and being part of something much larger than my own voice could carry. I loved being on stage belting out the music and watching the applause for the group. Traveling around competing in various arenas were some of the best memories I have of bus trips.

~ Taco Juan's...the best super nachos you'll ever eat...I would devour them during lunch with all the toppings I could possibly lay my hands on and still not gain a pound. Ahhhh...the days when my metabolism would allow overindulgence.

Traveling around Cheyenne for two days with the kiddos was invigorating as HS's eyes widened when he saw where mommy had spent her "teen years". As I walked up to the school doors, I could hear the laughter coming from the music hall, the giggles as I entered a beloved teacher's room (most girls were madly "in love" with him), and face the shadows of the many people who gave me some of the best days and moments intermixed with the worst days as the quest to "fit in" drove most of us insane. High School. Would you go back?