How many of you went to your 10 year high school reunion?

[floriflee]

I just got the invite last week from the Reunion committee at my alma mater (high school) for my ten year reunion. I seriously considered going for about a second and then bagged the idea.

My reasons for not going:
1. I can't think of a single soul I really would like to see that I don't already keep in touch with.
2. My high school/hometown is practically in the middle of nowhere. It is 2-2.5 hours away from the nearest real (or semi-real) airport. I suppose I could fly into the Santa Fe Airport, but that would cost an arm and a leg and I've never known anyone who's actually flown there. Even so, it's still 45-60 minutes away from there.
3. The flight to Albuquerque is long and expensive. The flight will take between 4-6 hours plus the cost of travel time getting to the airport and waiting before take-off. So... easily 8 hours at least of just aiport/flying time. Factor in the drive mentioned in #2, it would be like a long 10-11 hour work day. Not to mention that it's really hard finding decent deals to get there. I guess no one likes to fly there or something....
4. The hubby will be smack dab in the middle of studying for the Bar Exam, and there is no way I'd go to this thing by myself.
5. They are charging $50 per person for the reunion. This includes a dinner at a local restaurant (remember.... small town in the middle of nowhere so the restaurants aren't exactly high class) and a BBQ the next day. I suppose that could be a reasonable price considering rental fees and such, but I could think of a better way to spend $100.
6. The invitation the Reunion committee sent out included combinations of colors about as bad as the ones used on the websites in this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=179475&highlight=worst+website).
7. Due to the lack of moisture the region has received this year, a severe fire danger warning is already in affect for that area. I don't want to go during peak fire season and then get surrounded in flames only to be left with one main road with which to exit down the mountain (there is a back road, but that would most likely take into the fire, were there to be one). I could see it happening at the outdoor BBQ after the drunk people start to get a little crazy. Okay, maybe that is a LITTLE far-fetched, but it's still a valid concern since there was a mass exodus of the town (akin to the slow, grueling exodus out of Houston during the Hurricane) a few years ago when a huge forest fire reached the town limits and ended up destroying about 200 homes.

With that long-winded explanation said... I was just wondering how many of the not-so-young-anymore-timers went to their 10 year reunion or plan to go to their reunion. If you didn't/don't want to go, why not?

[frankblundt]

I don't think many schools here even do reunions. Sometimes they try and drag people together for jubilee anniversaries (as a fundraising exercise mainly) but that's about it.

I periodically catch up with my old school chums, usually when one of them returns from overseas for a visit, but frankly, for the most part, i barely know them, i wonder if i ever really knew them, and increasingly i'm unsure as to whether i even want to.

If they were people i really liked, i've hung onto them anyway.

[iBlue]

nope. reason: didn't feel like it. (i'm a grump like that)

[Chaszmyr]

I'm not yet old enough that I would have had a 10 year high school reunion, but if my school did hold one, I doubt most people would go, and would expect to remember few (if any) of the people that went.

[-hh]

I just got the invite last week from the Reunion committee at my alma mater (high school) for my ten year reunion. I seriously considered going for about a second and then bagged the idea.
(snip)
With that long-winded explanation said... I was just wondering how many of the not-so-young-anymore-timers went to their 10 year reunion or plan to go to their reunion. If you didn't/don't want to go, why not?

IIRC, it was the 10 year that I went to. What I noticed was that it seemed that many of them were pretty uncomfortable about being there. For some of them, it was the general discomfort of doing the unusual thing of having to put on a suit, but as you kind of suggested, there was also a general discomfort of trying to get reacquainted with people that one used to know.

Overall, I've been interested in going to future reunions, mostly in the hopes that a few old friends who I lost touch with somehow come, but what I have experienced from getting reacquainted is that its generally best done in a one-on-one type of setting rather than as a group event.

Thus said, given the choice between a dinner or a BBQ, I think that the more casual BBQ setting is the way to go...its much more relaxed and free form which permits social mobility. I agree its probably not worth flying out to NM for you and all that (unless you're going to combine it with a visit to family) but you could use the travel as an excuse to miss the formal dinner and attend just the BBQ.

Overall, I'd say give it one shot to see if you like it or not. My wife doesn't ever want to go to any of her HS reunions, in no small part that she didn't really enjoy HS...but we have a good time at her College reunions and haven't missed one yet.

Probably the best thing to come to grips with is to manage your expectations. For me, I'd be happy to go just to catch up with a few of my old teachers and have *adult* conversations with them.

-hh

[Lau]

Mine (assuming there is one, which I actually doubt) would be in 2 years.

I wouldn't go to mine for the same reason:
1. I can't think of a single soul I really would like to see that I don't already keep in touch with.


Nuff said. Every time I bump into someone from school I die a little inside. ;)

Be an enigma - get your friends to spread outlandish rumours about you to everyone. Me and my friend from school swore that we would go to ours, and even if we were homeless and penniless we would go swanning in in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, swigging Champagne and smoking cigars and go on about our yachts to everyone. Seemed funny at the time, especially as we were possibly the scruffiest two in the school. :p

But yeah, you should get your friends to tell everyone that you can't make it because you're training for a space mission, or are being tracked by the government or something. Then go to the 20th one and see what those rumours have turned into by then. :D

[clayj]

I went to my 10 year reunion 10 years ago, and will be going to my 20 year reunion later this year. For me, it's no biggie to do this, since it's only 2 hours from where I live by car, and my Mom still lives there, so I don't even have to pay for a hotel room if I don't want to.

Strangely, while I don't really keep in touch with any of my classmates (one or two, but that's it), it seems like all of them know who I am. (We have a Yahoo! group for our 20 year reunion.) Maybe it's because I scanned our high school yearbook pages and put them on my web site... everyone in my class can find at least one mention of their name on the Internet. :)

[atszyman]

I wanted to go, but unfortunately it was smack in the middle of a busy semester in grad school, it would have been an 18 hour drive or an expensive flight. My wife and I were headed home for Thanksgiving only a few weeks later as well. The universe conspired against me to keep me from going.

That being said the 20 year should be much easier to get to. The kids will be older (although this makes for a more expensive flight) and I should be finished with Grad school by then....

[Lyle]

My reasons for not going:
1. I can't think of a single soul I really would like to see that I don't already keep in touch with.This is why I didn't go to my ten-year reunion. My (cough) 20-year reunion is coming up in just a couple more years now, but I don't anticipate attending that one either. There are one or two people that I've lost contact with, and really would like to see again, but I'm sorta guessing that they won't be there anyways.

[szark]

I went to my 10 year reunion -- mostly because I was interested in finding out what a few people (who I didn't talk to regularly) had done with their lives.

My reasons for not going:
1. I can't think of a single soul I really would like to see that I don't already keep in touch with.

If that's true, then don't go. It's not an obligation -- if you want to reconnect with people you haven't seen in a while then go. If you don't, save the money for something you'll actually enjoy.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to my 20 year reunion (assuming they actually hold one). But I've got another 2 years to make up my mind. :)

[iGary]

I hated most everyone I went to highschool with. Those I didn't, I kept in touch with. :)

[floriflee]

Thus said, given the choice between a dinner or a BBQ, I think that the more casual BBQ setting is the way to go...its much more relaxed and free form which permits social mobility. I agree its probably not worth flying out to NM for you and all that (unless you're going to combine it with a visit to family) but you could use the travel as an excuse to miss the formal dinner and attend just the BBQ.
(snip)
Probably the best thing to come to grips with is to manage your expectations. For me, I'd be happy to go just to catch up with a few of my old teachers and have *adult* conversations with them.


The only problem is I think the $50 per person is for the entire reunion. If you don't go to part of it, then tough luck... you still pay $50. I can somewhat justify $50 for the two activities, but not for just the BBQ.

From what I heard of the reunion last year (most of my good friends were a year ahead of me), it mainly consisted of the people who were still around in NM--including those who didn't actually graduate in '95. No teachers, though. I'm not sure if they are invited or not.

If anything, I would have thought a 20 year reunion would be more worthwhile because by then you're most likely established in your career, you're done with school (hopefully), and you have started your family--more to show, I guess. The second I spent actually seriously considering it was mostly because I was interested to see how people have changed over the last ten years, but then I thought, that it wasn't really that important.

I'll find some other time to go back when we have more time to spend with the folks (after the hubby takes the Bar, perhaps). We're seeing the siblings in April.

[floriflee]

There are one or two people that I've lost contact with, and really would like to see again, but I'm sorta guessing that they won't be there anyways.

That's the other thing... there's no guarantee you're actually going to see who you want to see (unless you still keep in contact with them and ask).

[jsw]

FWIW, I did go to my 10-year reunion, but not the 20-year one recently.

I expected the 10-year one to be terrible, but it was an excuse to fly home and see the folks, so I went anyway. As it turned out, it was a blast - I met up with a crush I'd had in high school - someone I never expected would give me the time of day - and we had a great time.

[2nyRiggz]

Havent reach ten years yet....i'm going on eight years out.


Bless

[maya]

My High School has a reunion every 5 years. :eek:

Since the time of graduation I have been to 1. And am not sure if I will attend the next. :-\

[blackfox]

I went to mine for the following reasons:

1. My HS was in a town I really liked and it was an excuse to go back and see the sites (Madison WI)

2. Although I have kept in touch with many of those I've wanted to, there have been some who I lost touch with who I hoped I might run into. There are also those who, while not those I would keep in touch with are still interesting enough to be curious about, enjoy a night of conversation with.

3. I wanted to see how the people I didn't like turned out. I hoped that they were (a) fat, (b) bald, (c) had bad jobs, (d) too many kids etc. Even if they weren't the curiousity had me.

4. Our reunion was at one of the best bars in town, so everyone could get all liquored up and mingle better.

5. Curious about what 10 years had done to girls I used to date/ or I thought were hot.

So how was it? I did run into enough people I wanted to see, saw enough people I didn't like look pathetic and enjoyed the town for a couple days. Endured some awkward moments. Heard some really interesting stories and flirted with girls who I thought were out of my league back then. Ended up leaving the bar after a while with a select group to have more fun. Got laid. All and all, a great time.

So, I guess it all depends really. Will skip the 15-year but will check out the 20-year for completely different reasons.

[rosalindavenue]

I missed my 10 year reunion-- or more correctly, they missed me-- my parents still live where I grew up; but the organizers couldn't find me. This year is my 20th-- they found me this time. I'll probably go, but I haven't decided for sure yet. I have to say that it weirds me out that I'm 20 years out of high school-- the second ten years went a whole lot faster than the first ten years; from what they tell me it keeps on getting faster. ClayJ-- Class of '86!

[pivo6]

I went to my 10 year reunion, and it seemed that a lot of people were hung up on how "successfull" they were. I went to my 20 year two years ago and it was a completely different feel. Everyone seemed more relaxed and content with themselves. Was it because we've all matured a bit? Maybe because we had the reunion in a brew pub.

My high school is doing a 25 year reunion in 2008 and I'll probably go to that too. My dad still lives in the town I grew up in, so it's good to see him again. It's only an 8 hour drive or so.

[erickkoch]

I went to mine. Mostly out of curiosity.

Wanted to find out whatever became of the nerds. Two of my classes biggest nerds were twins who played tubas in the band. One became an Air Force pilot, the other got a Ph D. and is now an important naval inteligence officer.

Several class clowns became school teachers.

Saw some of the hottest girls in the class who wouldn't give me the time of day come back fat.

Saw several of the schools handsome jocks came back balding or with a small beer gut.

A few fat students came back thin.

We plied people for the dirt on the ones who didn't show. The schools resident heavy-metal/rocker/pothead ended up on drugs (nobody was surprised). Another wasn't there because he was in prison, etc., etc.

Good times, good times.

[joepunk]

I have 4 more years to go for my first reunion. Don't know if I will go since it depends on what part of the country/world I will be by then in the Graphic Design world. There is probably a few people that I might be interested in seeing.

[DerChef]

Might be different in American Culture but my greatest goal in life is to never set eyes on the ******** ever again:p

[ziwi]

Not me - I kept in touch with those that mattered to me so I did not see the point in hanging out with those that did not...

[macartistkel]

Nuff said. Every time I bump into someone from school I die a little inside.

Everytime I bump into someone I went to high school with I cannot remember their name to save my life!! ;)

Anyway, I wanted to go to mine about a year and half ago and I sent in the money ---then 4 days before the reunion I get an email saying its been cancelled because only 12 people (including me) responded back. I was bummed (for like 15 minutes) but I saw the list of people that had planned to come and it was all people I would have really like to see. Oh well, someone said something about trying again for a 15th reunion!

A reunion is not a big deal, but I think people should try to go...its a blast from the past and even if it sucks you might remember something funny! :)

[ejb190]

Nope, didn't go to the my 10th for a really good reason. I was supposed to put it together with another guy who suddenly droped off the map. I was thinking about putting out the word to start collecting names and addresses for our 15th next year...

[wordmunger]

I didn't go to my tenth but just went to my 20th and it was a blast. It was great to see how everyone had changed. Mine was $50 as well, and I think it was worth it. Heck, I paid $300 to fly out there!

Oddly, I haven't kept in touch with ANYONE from the reunion, but I imagine the next time I'm back in my hometown I might look a couple of folks up.

[vniow]

It'll be awhile before I get any HS reunion invites (and I hope that they don't locate me to send me one) but I'm not going even if they pay me to travel halfway across the country. I hated most of the people who went there while I was under the radar for the most part, I get did treated like crap by many of the people I knew and I have no desire to get in touch with them ever again. Given the way they treated me when I was in HS, I can't imagine what they would think of me now or by the time they have a 10 year reunion.

Bottom line is, I'm over HS and the only reason why I would travel to that area again is to see my family (although apart from my immediate, I'm also concerned how they would treat me if they saw me now)

[iSaint]

I still live in my hometown, so traveling's not an issue. My wife and I went to my ten year reunion. All the guys partied their (our) asses off (my wife hung with us). All the girls had already married and were showing off their husbands and babies. It was ok...

At our twenty year reunion, more people had families, and it was a tad more mellow. But, there wasn't much time to really sit an visit with people with all the partying at the main event Sunday night. I was very busy with work, so I didn't get to hang out that much. Also, at a Saturday lunch event, where people brought their kids to swim and picnic, the first five families there were people who lived here in our hometown. I thought that was ironic, because we don't really keep up with each other.

A couple of sappy classmates want to have a 25 year reunion, but I'm not up for it. Like many of you have said, I keep up with my closest friends. High school wasn't the greatest time in the world for me.

[Jovian9]

I'm having this debate also. They are organizing ours now. Will probably be in the next few months. But we live in NM right now and the reunion is in IN. Can't decide. Some of my best friends are people I met in high school (though a few of them were not friends of mine until college). Myself and one of my friends are very social. It's a challenge to be around people you don't care for or used to not like and enjoy their presence. It can be fun. He and his wife will be going but not sure if we will. Our family is in IN so we'd get to visit them too. But I'd really hate to wear a suit....actually that would probably eliminate me from going.....I'm a t-shirt & jeans person.