I wanted to go to Brown back in the 90s.

(PS. am currently salivating)

Back before Seth and Summer competed for that one coveted spot. Back before any of the van der Woodsens even uttered the school name. Back before Norah and her playlist were accepted there. I applied early and waited and waited and waited on the waiting list…but by the time I got in, Brown was so far from my mind. You see, I was off pulling a Felicity and following a boy to Canada, and not Rhode Island. But, you know, there’s really no use in even talking to a strong-willed, exceptionally stubborn 18-year-old girl. So, I didn’t have the ivy-filled, sorority-filled college experience I had dreamed about for my entire childhood. I raced through college to get to the next stage in my life; to be a wife, to be a mother, to be a writer. And don’t get me wrong, I did all of those things and I am so glad I did. My life at almost32 is ridiculously fabulous, even though it wasn’t necessarily where I thought I would be at almost32.

But I still dream of Brown.

Yesterday, it was MCLL day at Georgia Tech, which meant free tickets for us to see The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets play The Virginia Tech pokies (POKIES?)(FINE. They are HOKIES. But either way it’s a ridiculous name). Sure, it wasn’t as exciting to the kids as a Braves game, but it was Sunday and it was free (well, it did cost $7 in concessions) but it was such good fun…and the feel of college baseball is just so, college. The only people there were a group of teenagers cheering on the batboy, friends and family of the dorkishly cute ball players, and parents with their little baseball fans. It was the perfect place to take my kids.

And it was the perfect place to take, well, ME. Because I was in heaven. Sure, it was no Brown, but driving by the old buildings and the stadiums and the giant old frat houses brought back these images of me walking across a campus in early Autumn with a US history book and a novel in my hand, wearing Doc Martens and jeans and a giant abercrombie sweater like this.

WHAT? It was the 90s, people.

So now, of course, all I can think about is going to college (even though I already went to college AND graduate school) and even though this would be ME…trying to be all RUFUS in a sea of not32-year-olds who don’t have three children and husbands at home and mortgages and jobs and actual, you know, responsibilities

I really can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be…