Sunday Social: The Awkward Years

1. Biggest Middle school fashion mistake
Oh good gravy, there were SO many.  Peach cycling shorts?  Purple shell suit?  Mid-calf elastic waisted skirts?  Worse of all, however, would have to be a little later - the undercut I had in my midteens!  On Winona Ryder it would have looked chic and edgy.  On me, a chubby cheeked girl with madly thick hair is was a disaster.  My mother and I actually have a deal - she's allowed to put up as many pictures of me at home as she likes (and believe me, she likes!), but only pre-13 and post-16 - the haircut was that bad!

2. Who were your best friends in hs?

At Gatton, probably a bunch of my dormmates and classmates.  I kept in contact with some of them after school for a while, but we all went on to different places.  At Forres, Maria, Sam, Erin, Tracy, Jenna and Angus were probably my closest friends.  Maria, Sam and Erin I still chat to and visit with when I go home to Scotland.  Tracy I lost touch with at uni age.  Jenna is still one of the dearest people in my world.  And Angus and I drifted apart at university, which was a great shame.  He was an awesome friend.

3. What was a typical weekend like for you in hs?

In Forres, we weekended hard.  Schoolbus home -> dinner with the fam -> party or pub/dancing ->sleep or sleepover -> cycle to work -> waitressing -> cycle home & shower -> babysitting -> party or pub/dancing -> sleep or sleepover -> cycle to work -> waitressing -> homework -> movies or hanging out or chilling.  Makes me exhausted to look at now!

4. Did you have any boyfriends/girlfriends?

I kissed a few frogs, but my one serious high school boyfriend was a very nice boy called Richard.  We dated for four or so months in my senior year and he was a superb starter boyfriend, ha! Nice guy, textbook breakup.

5. Did you have any secret codes with your friends? Spill your secrets!

No codes, but lots of in-jokes and shared vocab!  At boarding school we also did these things called 'letter books' - you'd get an exercise book, write a letter in it, pass it to your friend in the dining hall, she'd read it and write a reply, pass it back at breakfast.... we were so inventive in the 1990s!  We also used to pass notes.  A lot!

6. If you could relive one day/moment/experience from middle school or high school, what would it be?

I'd just do much of senior year again, I think.  The feeling of potential, of what's to come....the heady mix of being 18 - life just about to start, but finally feeling like a grown up!