Going Back to New Jersee

When I went to Morocco I decided that of my many traditions, two were non-negotiable – the March “See the World” trip with my family and Princeton Reunions. My 19-year streak of holiday weekends in the tri-state area had ended in 2005, so Morocco didn’t end it, and the Annual Card Game, usually held at that time, could be moved now that three of the four players were in New York (although circumstances led to no game last year, we can make up for it by having more than one in a year, inshallah!). I went on the two March trips while I was away but this past March that tradition was lost as well. And then there’s Reunions.

While in the Peace Corps, I flew to JFK on Thursday and flew back to Casablanca the following Monday (had I not already had the flights arranged, I might not have missed the 80th birthday celebration for Professor David Billington or the memorial service for The Daily Princetonian’s Larry DuPraz, both of whom were influences and inspirations to me and many others). Both weekends were wonderful – a great chance to see friends and to feel connected. And since Princeton Reunions is its own little world, I didn’t experience too much culture shock; I didn’t really have time, anyway.

This year was a little different – I’ve been back for a while and I’ve already seen a lot of the people I usually see, so it was even more comfortable and familiar. There was some sense of saying goodbye to people since I’m going away again, but I don’t know how much I would have seen of many of these friends even if I were here, and I feel I’m in touch with most of them through the internet, mail and sometimes phone anyway.

Unfortunately, this year was also different in that I didn’t feel well and didn’t have my usual energy. It seemed to take a lot of effort to walk up and down the campus (when you don’t feel well, a slope becomes a hill), so I didn’t run around as much as I usually do. This meant more time with people I happened to be near, but missing people I didn’t venture out to see. I also felt somehow incomplete wardrobe-wise - I had given my class costume to my friend Howie for safekeeping, but between not wanting him to have to dry clean (or, perhaps worse, not dry clean!) for me and the abundance of attractive Moroccan orange and black clothing I was able to acquire, it’s been sitting at his house unused. But this year the orange and black clothing was also in a box; I mailed it home from Morocco and hadn’t dreamed that I wouldn’t have settled somewhere and retrieved it by now. I did have one orange Moroccan shirt – I’d saved it just in case I needed it for the Princeton Club talk – and I lifted one orange t-shirt from my storage space when I went through it – but it didn’t seem enough.


La gave me a class shirt from our 25th, but it’s too big (I think I might bring it to Asia and see what a tailor can do with it). Arlene gave me a class polo, so at least I had something to wear, but I felt conspicuous. I know it shouldn’t make a difference – so maybe it was a reflection of just not feeling 100 percent.


That said, I had a wonderful time. It was great to see friends and to know that even without my running around to find them, many of the people I wanted to see found me or were right there where I was anyway (e.g. the 30th Reunion courtyard, the Band reunion, the P-rade, my eating club). I’ll miss the fall football game again – that was something I hadn’t missed until 2006 – but I’m already looking forward to next year’s Reunions and to writing the class notes columns this year!