8 years ago tomorrow...
...we began our freshman year at Houghton. It is so hard to believe that this much time has gone by. Looking back, I remember thinking those days, weeks, months, and even years would forever stand still...that MY Houghton world would never disappear.
Freshman year...my parents, grandparents, brothers, and Beck Melfi all came to help me move in. I remember finally meeting Kris Buch, my new roommate. I remember meeting Shannon & Andrea, my suite mates. I remember being in the campus center with my family and Becky and seeing that boy across that big room who looked a lot like Josh Hurley from high school. That boy would turn out to be Richard Liantonio: my best friend and more during those years, forever holding a permanent place in my heart.
I remember the service we all attended in the chapel and saying goodbye to my family afterwards. I was so proud of myself for keeping it together and not crying, but I remember that shaky feeling I had, that nervous, hold-myself together feeling I had as I stood on the Lambein bridge while my parents slowly drove away. I remember meeting my FYI group for the first time (though the only members of that group I remember are Seth, BJ & Jamie Toole...lol).
I remember finally finding my friend Annette (from home) and feeling so relieved that there was someone there who I really knew. I remember running into John Lilley in the campus center and him saying that he really wanted us to get together to talk and things. I remember taking a walk that night and hearing music coming from the chapel steps, which turned out to be John, Laura Wells-Tolley, Asif, and some others. I remember joining them until the early hours of the morning. I remember walking back to my dorm room that night feeling so peaceful, so right, so happy. Funny that of all of them, Asif is the one I see and talk to the most now, and John the least!
So many things stand out so vividly in my mind from the early part of that year...that freshman class which was unlike any other. Those people who would get together to sing and pray in the campus center every night for weeks...Richard wanting to teach us how to Jewish dance (for years after that he would be so embarassed and get so mad at me for bringing that up!). I remember the first Friday I spent down in the basement of the chapel. I had decided to not attend the class retreat. John invited me to join him & some friends (I met Avanel then!) to hang out w/them in WC3 that night. I remember walking into the chapel that night and seeing Josh Gibbel playing one of those Steinway concert grands, all by himself, singing to the Lord. I hoped then that we would be friends. Lol...I really should call him! :-p
I remember Justin Hibbard agreeing to accompany me and all of our rehearsal times when he would create his own new accompaniments to all of my songs (instead of playing what was reading) and how we would laugh and laugh and laugh.
I remember being one of the few freshman College Choir members with my good friends Richard and Rebecca, plus a couple of others, and feeling so intimidated by all of those amazing upper-classmen. Who knew that my time would really come to rule that roost a few years later!
I remember spending countless nights in the recording studio with John, Richard and Josh...talking, praying, and "soaking" for hours...sometimes til 4 in the morning!
I remember my first trip to Toronto. I remember how influential it was for me and how my encounter w/the Lord was so real in that place, despite everything else there.
I remember those late Friday nights when John would drive me home...those 500 feet to my dorm and how we would sit in his car (Charles Phinney...Chuck!) and talk until the sun began to come up! I remember leading worship at different retreats with him throughout the year and over breaks. I remember Erin, his ex-girlfriend telling me how much she hated me because of my relationship with him and warning me because our relationship was so like theirs had been!
I remember so many times...talking with Richard for hours...about everything under the sun. I remember the first time he ever really hung out and how we went to Big Al's and ate breadsticks (oh, Big Al's breadsticks!!!). What a triumph! :-D I remember how we never did anything ever without each other. His other friends would get annoyed. So would mine. We didn't care though! Neither of us had ever really had a friend like the other before...someone so similar and so understanding...loving the other so unconditionally. I remember when that first semester ended and he was going off to London for the next....how we both cried saying goodbye and then how all through Christmas vacation, we'd talk on the phone, and that last night before he flew out how emotional we both were again. Gosh, what babies! Lol. But I was sure he'd go and I wouldn't hear from him again until the semester ended. The phone calls came though fairly regularly...every couple of weeks in fact, usually on a Friday afternoon he'd call and we'd talk forever. I don't know why I never saved all of the e-mails we'd send, but I remember the boxes of goodies he'd ship to me...delicious British chocolates and other fun things to share w/our other friends. And then, I remember how he came to Houghton to visit right after he got back to the states, and how excited and nervous I was to finally have him come back...and how we had a little welcome-home party for him in Big Al's, but then he and I snuck away and went up to the piano in the cafeteria and played some songs for each other and just talked.
I could go on and on and on!
I remember those class choirs and how we and how we sang "Shout to the Lord" and "Deeper" for the first one...the guys put a band together and I directed the choir. On the "We're goin all the way" part we all ran out into the chapel and the administration and some of the faculty were furious. LOL.
Anyway, I'll kill the memory train for now, mostly because I really have to get ready to leave. I might add more memories later. I just can't believe that was eight years ago. So much has changed since then. Things I would have never imagined in a million years have happened. Friendships have come and gone. New friendships have blossomed and new experiences have been had. Friends have gotten engaged and married and had babies and bought houses. I always thought those days would last forever. Part of me wishes that they had because it was so wonderful. Don't get me wrong...so much crap happened too. It wasn't all roses and spring time! Still, we lived and learned, changed and grew together. I definitely wouldn't trade those years for the world.
So, to all of my Houghton friends who were there then, I hope you can remember it all as fondly as I do and that we can see each other soon!!! AND, can you believe that we have a reunion coming up next summer??? CRAZY!!!!!!!
Freshman year...my parents, grandparents, brothers, and Beck Melfi all came to help me move in. I remember finally meeting Kris Buch, my new roommate. I remember meeting Shannon & Andrea, my suite mates. I remember being in the campus center with my family and Becky and seeing that boy across that big room who looked a lot like Josh Hurley from high school. That boy would turn out to be Richard Liantonio: my best friend and more during those years, forever holding a permanent place in my heart.
I remember the service we all attended in the chapel and saying goodbye to my family afterwards. I was so proud of myself for keeping it together and not crying, but I remember that shaky feeling I had, that nervous, hold-myself together feeling I had as I stood on the Lambein bridge while my parents slowly drove away. I remember meeting my FYI group for the first time (though the only members of that group I remember are Seth, BJ & Jamie Toole...lol).
I remember finally finding my friend Annette (from home) and feeling so relieved that there was someone there who I really knew. I remember running into John Lilley in the campus center and him saying that he really wanted us to get together to talk and things. I remember taking a walk that night and hearing music coming from the chapel steps, which turned out to be John, Laura Wells-Tolley, Asif, and some others. I remember joining them until the early hours of the morning. I remember walking back to my dorm room that night feeling so peaceful, so right, so happy. Funny that of all of them, Asif is the one I see and talk to the most now, and John the least!
So many things stand out so vividly in my mind from the early part of that year...that freshman class which was unlike any other. Those people who would get together to sing and pray in the campus center every night for weeks...Richard wanting to teach us how to Jewish dance (for years after that he would be so embarassed and get so mad at me for bringing that up!). I remember the first Friday I spent down in the basement of the chapel. I had decided to not attend the class retreat. John invited me to join him & some friends (I met Avanel then!) to hang out w/them in WC3 that night. I remember walking into the chapel that night and seeing Josh Gibbel playing one of those Steinway concert grands, all by himself, singing to the Lord. I hoped then that we would be friends. Lol...I really should call him! :-p
I remember Justin Hibbard agreeing to accompany me and all of our rehearsal times when he would create his own new accompaniments to all of my songs (instead of playing what was reading) and how we would laugh and laugh and laugh.
I remember being one of the few freshman College Choir members with my good friends Richard and Rebecca, plus a couple of others, and feeling so intimidated by all of those amazing upper-classmen. Who knew that my time would really come to rule that roost a few years later!
I remember spending countless nights in the recording studio with John, Richard and Josh...talking, praying, and "soaking" for hours...sometimes til 4 in the morning!
I remember my first trip to Toronto. I remember how influential it was for me and how my encounter w/the Lord was so real in that place, despite everything else there.
I remember those late Friday nights when John would drive me home...those 500 feet to my dorm and how we would sit in his car (Charles Phinney...Chuck!) and talk until the sun began to come up! I remember leading worship at different retreats with him throughout the year and over breaks. I remember Erin, his ex-girlfriend telling me how much she hated me because of my relationship with him and warning me because our relationship was so like theirs had been!
I remember so many times...talking with Richard for hours...about everything under the sun. I remember the first time he ever really hung out and how we went to Big Al's and ate breadsticks (oh, Big Al's breadsticks!!!). What a triumph! :-D I remember how we never did anything ever without each other. His other friends would get annoyed. So would mine. We didn't care though! Neither of us had ever really had a friend like the other before...someone so similar and so understanding...loving the other so unconditionally. I remember when that first semester ended and he was going off to London for the next....how we both cried saying goodbye and then how all through Christmas vacation, we'd talk on the phone, and that last night before he flew out how emotional we both were again. Gosh, what babies! Lol. But I was sure he'd go and I wouldn't hear from him again until the semester ended. The phone calls came though fairly regularly...every couple of weeks in fact, usually on a Friday afternoon he'd call and we'd talk forever. I don't know why I never saved all of the e-mails we'd send, but I remember the boxes of goodies he'd ship to me...delicious British chocolates and other fun things to share w/our other friends. And then, I remember how he came to Houghton to visit right after he got back to the states, and how excited and nervous I was to finally have him come back...and how we had a little welcome-home party for him in Big Al's, but then he and I snuck away and went up to the piano in the cafeteria and played some songs for each other and just talked.
I could go on and on and on!
I remember those class choirs and how we and how we sang "Shout to the Lord" and "Deeper" for the first one...the guys put a band together and I directed the choir. On the "We're goin all the way" part we all ran out into the chapel and the administration and some of the faculty were furious. LOL.
Anyway, I'll kill the memory train for now, mostly because I really have to get ready to leave. I might add more memories later. I just can't believe that was eight years ago. So much has changed since then. Things I would have never imagined in a million years have happened. Friendships have come and gone. New friendships have blossomed and new experiences have been had. Friends have gotten engaged and married and had babies and bought houses. I always thought those days would last forever. Part of me wishes that they had because it was so wonderful. Don't get me wrong...so much crap happened too. It wasn't all roses and spring time! Still, we lived and learned, changed and grew together. I definitely wouldn't trade those years for the world.
So, to all of my Houghton friends who were there then, I hope you can remember it all as fondly as I do and that we can see each other soon!!! AND, can you believe that we have a reunion coming up next summer??? CRAZY!!!!!!!