During my freshman year in college, I lived in a dorm with a west wing and and an east wing. Each wing had 3 floors, and each floor had a hallway telephone. Back then, the "girls" took turns at door duty, also called the "bell desk", since that's where phone calls and visitors came in and were directed to the right floor. Everyone came to know who lived on "3rd East" or "1st West". Soon, we began referring to ourselves, both singly and collectively, as such.
There were 12 of us on 1st West. None of us knew each other before college. Our interests spanned the course catalogue. We were quiet and outgoing, inexperienced and worldly, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Other. There were valedictorians. There was an Olympic athlete. There were bookworms, partiers, actors. And it worked. I could not have asked for better roommates, or better friends.
It's now almost 40 years later. People have moved. Life has managed to get in the way. I have seen a few 1st Westers sporadically over the years, and unfortunately was unable to make it to a reunion in Arizona two years ago due to illness. I've seen photos and it looked like a great time.
So this year, my husband and I decided to go someplace warm near the end of the winter. The idea is to leave New England when the calendar says winter is almost over (late February or early March), go someplace warm, then come back when it's actually over (late March or early April). Florida was the obvious choice, but then we realized "hey, been there done that", and after all, Arizona is not really that much farther away in the grand scheme of things. Just like life, plans evolve!
We're driving, not necessarily on pioneer trails, but our plans are taking us west. We are very excited about reconnecting with a few other 1stWesters. So....1stWestwardHo!!
There were 12 of us on 1st West. None of us knew each other before college. Our interests spanned the course catalogue. We were quiet and outgoing, inexperienced and worldly, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Other. There were valedictorians. There was an Olympic athlete. There were bookworms, partiers, actors. And it worked. I could not have asked for better roommates, or better friends.
It's now almost 40 years later. People have moved. Life has managed to get in the way. I have seen a few 1st Westers sporadically over the years, and unfortunately was unable to make it to a reunion in Arizona two years ago due to illness. I've seen photos and it looked like a great time.
So this year, my husband and I decided to go someplace warm near the end of the winter. The idea is to leave New England when the calendar says winter is almost over (late February or early March), go someplace warm, then come back when it's actually over (late March or early April). Florida was the obvious choice, but then we realized "hey, been there done that", and after all, Arizona is not really that much farther away in the grand scheme of things. Just like life, plans evolve!
We're driving, not necessarily on pioneer trails, but our plans are taking us west. We are very excited about reconnecting with a few other 1stWesters. So....1stWestwardHo!!
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