What a Weekend! The Sequel

As sentimental millennials, my generation loves a little schmaltz. And nowadays, it is just so darn easy for us to revisit the past. All the songs we sang along to on the car radio back in the '90s are instantly accessible via YouTube, the television sitcoms of our youth can be streamed on Hulu in a moment, and communication with our childhood friends—regardless of the geographical distances that physically separate us—is almost effortless with the technological advances made possible by Facebook, Gmail and Skype. 

But there's nothing quite so nostalgic as real, live, personal interaction with faces from our past to remind us of the glories of our salad days. So I guess it's no surprise how over-the-top we go for events like a college reunion. Last weekend, I returned to the Villanova campus green to gather with all my fellow Wildcats from the Class of 2009, for an incredible multi-day fiesta, looking back on the decade that's passed since we graduated from our beloved alma mater.

My friends in Hong Kong were all incredulous when I told them about my impending trip. 

"Wait, you are flying all the way back to the United States for a ten year school party? Nobody would do that in Europe." 

"I don't even keep in touch with anybody from my university."

"That is so weird. You are so weird." 

But for me, it was never even an option to skip out. Ever since our five year reunion in 2014, I've been looking forward to the sequel. And this past weekend, when it opened in theaters, I was first in line for a ticket. 

As my Amtrak neared 30th Street Station last Thursday, chugging past Boat House Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an indescribable wave of emotion washed over me. It was almost unreal how excited I was.

I had toyed with the idea of spending some time in Philly upon my arrival, but my legs eagerly carried me straight to the R5 ticket counter, where I paid my fare to take me to Villanova. 

Moments later, I was on an express train. Before I knew it, we had arrived.

The place has definitely changed (read: expanded) since I last laid eyes on it back in 2014, but it's still undeniably gorgeous. I checked in, dropped my bags in the apartment we had reserved on West Campus, and took a wander.

While ducking into the church, my buddy Jimmy called to forge a plan, and shortly thereafter, he and our friend Christine picked me up in their Uber on the corner of Lancaster and Ithan, as we cruised to the Grog in Bryn Maw, just across the street from my senior year home.

Thursdays were a special night for us back in those days. The Grog had a promotion for USD 3 Long Island Iced Teas. And everybody in our class met there pretty much every week. Alas, times have changed, and prices have risen. But USD 10 Long Islands were obviously in order as the three of us caught up in the retro setting, later joined by a fourth friend, Kevin.

Another of the Main Line watering holes that was firmly affixed to our weekly schedule back then was Kelly's, a much larger bar slightly closer to campus. Kelly's was our perennial Tuesday night spot, with their USD 1 drink special. But its large size and convenient location meant it was the sort of place we'd also gather on plenty of other occasions, sometimes before or after heading elsewhere. So it didn't even feel a little bit strange to show our IDs to the bouncer at the door and enter the cavernous space.

Any Villanova class is always more than welcome to attend the annual June reunion weekend, with a special emphasis placed on those celebrating "milestone" anniversaries (i.e. five years, ten years, fifteen years, etc.). So we made friends with some other alumni from the Classes of '99 and '04, as we downed a few pints overlooking Lancaster Avenue. It was a reminder than Villanovans across generations all share an ineffable bond.

We finished up our night back at the Grog, with one final round of Long Islands and the eagerly anticipated arrival of my pal Joe, who met us there just as last call was announced. I must say, as great as it was to catch up with everybody, there's something slightly jarring to me, after nearly a decade of life in a city with no government-mandated closing time, to be told a privately-owned establishment is prohibited from staying open past the absurdly early hour of 2 o'clock in the morning. Still, I suppose it enabled me to get some rest and ensured I was up and at 'em the next day.

Friday started at Nudy's, easily the best breakfast spot in the vicinity. You probably remember my old 'Nova professor, Peggy, who coordinated my summer study abroad program in London in 2006 and has since been to Hong Kong multiple times on school trips. Well, as fate would have it, Peggy was flying out to the UK that evening—yes, thirteen years since my own program, she still leads a troupe of Wildcats across the Pond each summer—so we had to take advantage of our brief overlap. 

A crab meat omelet and side order of scrapple in Nudy's outdoor patio, coupled with a fantastic conversation with Peggy, made it a morning to remember. Even the short drive back and forth from campus to the restaurant, through the charming towns of Radnor and Wayne, made for sentimental cruising.

We passed the Wayne Hotel, where my parents stayed the weekend they checked me in for Freshman Orientation, back in August 2005. That first night, they filled out a reservation form, which saw them booking a room for every major event for the next four years. And that's where they stayed most Parents' Weekends and Singer's Concerts and even graduation itself.

And there was Margaret Kuo's, for my money, still the best Chinese restaurant this side of the Suez Canal, and a spot we went for dinner pretty much every time my family came up to visit. I still judge all Peking ducks against the one there. 

On the right, we passed the Anthony Wayne Theater, a gorgeous art deco cinema... 

On the left, I spied Minnella's Diner, a twenty-four hour greasy spoon...

Both still there. But I saw some changes, too. 

No more Cream and Sugar, the best coffee shop in town. And I couldn't find Aux Petits Delices, a French bakery with otherworldly palmiers and cookies, though Google tells me it's still around, and that I just missed it. There was so much to look at on both sides of the street, I guess you can forgive me. 

Back on campus, I popped into Bartley Hall, home to the Villanova School of Business, where I found Dean German, one of my favorite administrators. And then I met Joe and Rusty—who had since arrived—by the Oreo, the iconic statue in the center of campus. We popped into Kennedy Hall, home to the book store, where we loaded up on 'Nova gear.

And then we walked to Gullifty's, another old haunt, where we had some al fresco local beers. We tried out a new spot, too, a shisha joint in our 'Nova days, now called the Tin Lizard Brewing Company, with an open rooftop deck and home crafted beers. It's proof positive that some changes are for the better. I only wish it had been around back in 2009. We whiled away the afternoon in the pleasant setting.

Once Friday night was upon us, most people had had a chance to arrive and settle in. Villanova designates certain off-campus venues as the Class Meet-Up for individual graduation years. Funnily enough, the Class of 2009 was assigned to the Grog, so I wound up back there for a second night in a row. Since it would seem odd to drink anything other than a Long Island Iced Tea in the place, I didn't even consider another option.

And then the faces started appearing. Not the ones I see regularly on any given trip home, but those with whom I'd sadly lost touch. And it was like a tap had been opened, suddenly spurting out an unending cascade of memories. With each familiar character, a name long forgotten suddenly came back to the tongue. And with it, recollections of college parties, inside jokes, early morning classes, Philly excursions, boozy spring breaks. Free flow nostalgia.

Saturday's Alumni Picnic might actually be the single highlight of the whole weekend, especially if you're blessed with glorious weather, as we were that day. It's similar to the meet up the night before at the Grog, except instead of being crammed in to a tiny space, the entire center of campus is set up with buffets and bars.

From the Quad to the Grotto, everybody spread out in the wonderful sunshine, grabbing beers and hot dogs, looking for that next memory to relive. I saw so many great people, caught up on so many exciting developments, met so many kids, so many spouses. It was pure perfection.

Later that evening, as the twilight shadows gathered, we made our way to the Pavilion, for the classy SuperNova dinner, with formal dress, live music and strong drinks.

We turned it into a late night back on West Campus afterwards. It seemed like the rest of our hallway was also taken up by '09ers, and we kept our doors opened and hopped around from room to room. There were sing-a-longs, and further catch-ups, and it all really felt like old times. I remember when this was our life, and now, we get to revisit it once every five years. 

Sunday is a sad day. The whole thing just goes far too quickly. The latent promises of Thursday crescendo throughout Friday and almost explode on Saturday. Alas, then it all dissipates that next morning as people head home. I didn't even really get to say goodbye to most of them, my last memories being the blurry melee of shots and songs that followed the SuperNova dinner. I was reminded of that cheesy poster that advises, "Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."

And smile I did. All these years later, Villanova is still a huge part of my life. Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely not one of those people who wistfully refers to college as "the best four years of life." But my time at Villanova was certainly an amazing four years. And what profoundly important, foundational years they were. Without Villanova, I can't see myself living where I am now. And the relationships I made there remain among the closest I have.

So I love knowing that every five years, as our world changes and our lives move forward, the loyal heirs of Villanova's Class of 2009 will perpetually return to the campus green to bask in each other's glorious company, and to remind ourselves how lucky we were to call this place home from 2005 to 2009. I love you guys, and I treasure these friendships! See you all in 2024!

ONCE A WILDCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT!