Saturday marked the final day of my Fall vacation. I’ve had a great week off as I’ve been pretty active for most of it. I attended Toastmasters speech contests at Westmoreland County Community College. We had our family reunion on Sunday at Laurel Hill in the same pavilion we’ve had the last five years. I took some road trips to the Laurel Highlands, starting with Johnstown on Tuesday night. I came past the Hiram G. Andrews Center and thought to myself how independent I was yet scared, 25 years ago. Thursday I ventured to Latrobe and Ligonier. I saw the Mister Rogers exhibit at the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent, and spent the afternoon in Ligonier.
Yesterday, I left my house early, around 7:30am, and made the hour and a half drive up to Slippery Rock for their annual Homecoming celebration. The schedule has worked in my favor this year, and this wasn’t just any Homecoming. This year marks 20 years since I graduated from college. I was comfortable and didn’t want to graduate. None of us are ready when the time comes. I had a hard time accepting my past but eventually did. For a long time, I was always in the shadow of college, and wanted to make up for things that I didn’t accomplish.
Truth is, I’m happy with the experience now and wouldn’t change anything. Who knows how different things would be if I didn’t go or I stayed a year or two longer? This blog has been good therapy for me and has helped me write out my feelings.
For a long time, Homecoming was a tradition for me. It met its end a few years before the pandemic. I felt some regret missing the first Fall Symposium that my District held in Erie. It was best, however, that I found out on my own that the tradition had gotten stale.
The weather gods blessed me with some great weather during my Fall vacation. It was overcast and a little bit chilly on Sunday when we had our Family reunion. Luckily, we had two fires going to keep us warm. I was happy to get outside and enjoy the sun on Thursday in Ligonier, and again yesterday up at Slippery Rock. The beautiful weather made for a nice ride home on I-79 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
My day yesterday started out with a stroll around the North End of campus getting some pictures of the old buildings. I then got my chair and found a great spot to watch the parade. This year it took on a different meaning seeing the Slippery Rock marching band perform. My niece is in the band at West Hempfield Middle School and she plays the baritone saxophone. The campus bus was in the parade and that too has a different feel in 2025, as my dad drives part-time for the school district.
Having been to many Homecomings, I’ve been aware of the changes on campus and have seen many buildings come and go. The residence halls there during my time are mostly gone or other uses now. The student housing has moved over to the southern end of campus, having gone up long after my time there was complete. The campus has never been more beautiful though.
At the SGA Bookstore, I browsed around. While I didn’t need anything, I bought Annabelle a present. It was a Slippery Rock Marching Band t-shirt. It was also a good deal at $12. Who knows, maybe it’ll help her decide on where she wants to go to college.
I couldn’t see everything in the time I was there and could have found ways to improve upon the day. I enjoyed a nice parade, but I have also devoted more time to enjoying the game. It was our bitter rival IUP, and it was a comeback win for The Rock.
2025 has been a year of anniversaries and celebrations. I graduated high school and started college 25 years ago, and finished my academic career 20 years ago. I did pine for it to continue for years after though. 2026 will be a different beast, as I pursue some new interests. I’ll still be pushing some milestones, though.
Stylish 🍒 