Highlights From Iowa, Part I

Nine hours of driving to Iowa proved worth it.

First stop,  seven of my old college friends got together last weekend just for fun. One from Michigan, one from Minnesota, and one from Missouri, gathered with those still in Iowa for a very informal reunion of our Iowa State gang.  It's been well over 30 years since college (we won't go into how well over) and a couple of us had reconnected on facebook.  Since I was driving there anyway, I just got on the internet and found numbers for some old friends and called.  Many of us hadn't seen each other since college, but that certainly didn't slow down the conversation! So much fun. One small observation: we ate a lot less and drank a lot more ice tea than days gone by. And none of us looked any different at all :)

We used to live in the Ames area, so I stayed and visited for a few days. Coffee and meals with good friends.  My focus?  Being in the moment.  Listening, and enjoying time with each friend. Tasting and enjoying foods without guilt.  I ate until I was full at each meal, and then stopped eating.  A simple plan, but tough some times to follow through with. It worked!  Instead of obsessing over the food and feeling guilty, I had a wonderful time finding out that Lou and I still get along so well that we can just start talking like it had been only yesterday that we'd lived near each other.  Sharing great times with Lisa and Rick and their family and enjoying spaghetti made by Lisa's daughter, Tracy (the secret family Italian sauce has been successfully passed on!)  Going out for coffee, a little shopping and walking the flower gardens with Paula, and talking non-stop the entire time. Lunches out with Lisa, Paula and Rick. Friends were the focus, not the food. Good friends will always be good friends, no matter how much time has passed.  Something to treasure forever. I learned to take the time to appreciate just that.