堪薩斯之旅 - J. Jacqueline's Life Story and Reflection－French78部落格

Jacqueline with Jayhawker

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is Michel. Well, we all know many of us have been apart for over 30 years. From innocent college graduates to seasoned adults, we can only guess how many life stories there are among us during these 30 years. Our dear classmate J. Jacqueline told her story with her vivid writing, supplemented by very nice photos of herself and her family. Please go check J.J.'s album.

******************************************************************

What do you call it? My journey? By J. Jacqueline

It has been an interesting time, intertwining with old and new. My emotion is still “high” from all these encounters. This summer, I decided to brave my constant discomfort and planned a vacation to visit Lawrence , KS , where my husband and I went to school and met in 1979. The boys wanted to spend some time in Colorado before daddy moved back home; Jason really wanted to revisit the Midwest and Andrew was eager to add Kansas to his list of states travelled.

After celebrating my father’s birthday with my brother’s family, we set out to Colorado . We had just put in landscaping but would be putting the house on the market in a few months. For the two years my husband had worked there, I kept wondering how it would have been if we had moved, if Andrew had been going to school there. Even though we’ve found that college application is becoming more and more competitive a process in Colorado, when thinking of the incredible view of the Flatirons and kids running free in the huge green open space, I could not help speculating if Andrew would have been happier doing the same things here instead of in the hustled and bustled Bay Area! Last year, we visited the Rocky Mountain National Park , the Royal Gorge, and other places JC and I toured when we first visited Colorado 25 years ago in our blue Volkswagen Bug. I wish I had a picture of the car. It was so old the body was rusting, so we painted white clouds on it. This time around, we decided to stay home, play in the pool so mom can keep up with her rehab workout, and watch the rabbits munch on our new grass and plants. It was nice not having to be awakened by an alarm clock.

From Broomfield , Colorado , we drove through eastern Colorado , all the way across Kansas to Lawrence . Lawrence is a college town, 40 minutes west of Kansas City , Kansas and Kansas City , Missouri . We took the kids to see the apartment and the town house we once lived in, where we went to class and worked in the pretty campus on Mt. Oread , and the famous legendary KU mascot “Jayhawk”. Listening to the fragments of our memories as we strolled the campus, both kids got very excited as if they were part of it back then. Jason wished USC had a campus like this. But we could not persuade Andrew to come to KU – it’s too far from home and kind of “in the middle of nowhere”! We continued our journey to Kansas City , Missouri , stayed at the Country Club Plaza. The Plaza reflects European influences everywhere, especially those of Seville , Spain . We used to come here at Christmas time for the dazzling lights. I was surprised to learn that it’s the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. There, we met an old friend of mine, Susan. This was my first reunion with Susan after 25 years. She was this quiet and shy Chinese American freshman girl that I got to know on the bus from the dorms to the campus in KU. We lived in different dorms, but I think I worked in the cafeteria in her dorm. We kept contact after I left school by exchanging Christmas cards and letters every year. It was her birthday. We had the famous Kansas City BBQ and shared a mud pie with ice cream. We’ve sent pictures throughout the years, but to see her in person was something different and indescribable. It brought back so many memories…. And the boys had to listen to my stories about getting up at 5 and walking in the snow to Elsworth’s kitchen….

After coming home from the heart-filled trip, we were busy getting ready for school. JC took another vacation so we could take Jason back to school. I was still drenched in my sweet memories while life went back to its usual craziness…until the email from Marie. This was like a second wave that came right after the first – without warning. The trail of emails brought me back 4 more years in life. I was overwhelmed by everyone’s responses and spent all my time busy recollecting the forgotten times. Leaving Taiwan for a brand new environment took a lot of adjustment. I was lucky to have made many good friends, met JC, and had the chance to enrich my life experience. Married life was great and work was good as well. There was not much room for thinking back, except for the seldom connection I had with the closer group of you. With the kids arriving, I put the past aside. I was busy laughing and crying with them, busy making sure I did my job and they did theirs. Then, all of a sudden, I was awoken by your emails. Your faces emerged and the happy years came back to mind. The short meeting with Gisele and Michel was so gratifying to me. It was like I finally filled a big spot of my huge puzzle! They have changed – havn’t we all? Yet I was so at ease that it seemed they have not changed at all! I wished we had more time and I wished I could do the same with each and every one of you!

Now that the zest of emailing is dying down a bit – no one to blame – we all have to live our life in the real world, we turn to the wonderful French 78 Blog to savor the good “old” days and learn the “new” about our dear friends. I am sure there are stories and stories to be told, fascinating or not, I will be eager to take them in like a thirsty, hungry sponge. The bond amongst all of us is surprisingly strong, especially after so many years, won’t you say? I see that we are no more in a hurry to pour our hearts out, to catch up the somewhat lost 30 years in an instant. That’s a good sign because what we need is a long-standing tie. By sharing on the blog, I wish we would keep it going – slowly, but surely, for many, many more years.

Who would know that while I have been struggling with physical problems, I’d have such a full load of emotional fulfillment? Adding to my joy was my husband’s returning to the area. Now I feel like I am ready to tackle the unforeseen future with all the support I know I’ll have. I can sense it already! Four years is not a long time, but the ever-lasting friendship evolved from it can be incredible. You warmed my heart and I feel so lucky that I am one of you!

PS. Pictures attached.

Jason was born in 1989. Andrew was born in 1994.

Enjoy!