Life may have taken us in different paths, but our bond remains the same.
After more than four years apart, my high school friends and I finally decided to have a mini-reunion. It was a long-overdue plan since our schedules never aligned, but I’m so happy because we finally made it happen (Nacoloran na jud!).
We spent it at Paraisso Garden Café since we all live in Compostela, and we think that it was the most convenient place to hang out. And you know what's the best part? The owner did not charge us for corkage and the cottage was also free! Cool, right? That was such a relief because we all just wanted a simple get-together without worrying about extra costs.
The moment we arrived at the place, we couldn't help but laugh because of how awkward it was, HAHA. Like, should we shake hands? Hug? But after a few minutes, it was like time never passed.
That time, all of us agreed to bring some food individually so that it would be fair, and so nobody had to stress about preparing a meal for all. We brought foods like fried chicken, pasta, grilled pork, desserts, and of course plenty of cold soft drinks to keep us refreshed. It felt just like when we were still in high school, when we used to share food during our lunch breaks.
Time flies really fast. Still can’t believe that it had been four years since we last spent quality time together, because it just feels like yesterday. I can vividly remember back in high school how we used to talk about assignments, school events, and even random gossip. But now, things have really changed. Some of us, including me, are about to graduate from college, while others have already started working. A few of our friends have even built their own families. Life really took us on different paths, but at that moment, none of that mattered, we were just enjoying our moments together and that we were still able to see each other again despite of our busy schedules.
While watching them, I can’t help but smile. Like, it was just so amazing to see how much we had grown as a person. It was one of the happiest day of my life. We talked about our embarrassing moments during our high school days and laughed about it. Someone even has the nerve to brought up our cringy high school crushes HAHAHA, like bruh, why did we think those were love stories?! Crazyyyyyy! But you know, seriously, it still felt unreal to actually think that the same people I used to discuss games and schoolwork with, were now discussing careers and responsibilities, even marriage. I’m just so proud of what they’ve become and of who they are still becomingT_T
What I really love about my high school friends is that no matter how long we have been away from each other, the energy whenever we meet remains the same. We ate. We laughed. We tease each other like the old times. It just never gets old. There's something comforting in knowing that even though life has changed us in so many ways, our friendship is still as strong as ever.
We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the place while enjoying the view, and taking endless photos. We also had fun in the small pool, they even play splashing around like they are still kids.
The other thing we did was just to sit down, and rant about how our life had been. We talked about our struggles and frustrations in our college journeys, challenges at work, and even our ups and downs of relationships. And to think that even now, with all of us at different stages of our life, the comforting was still very much the same as we always did it. We cheered for our friends who had achieved a lot, and for those who were still finding their way, we let them know it was okay, that they were not alone.
These are the people whom I value so much because they made my high school life so memorable, and no matter where life takes us, I will always be proud of them and will keep rooting for their success and happiness. Although maybe our perspectives in life have changed, but our bond will always be the same. And for that, I am forever grateful.