Chaminade Reunion '87 Blog: Just opened a bottle of wine...

As I sit here wondering what the hell I am doing reliving Chaminade days that I truely thought were behind me, it is clear that I am remembering the friends, not so much the school crap (Mr. Lawson to begin with). "Duh!", they shout, but it has taken me this long to decide to "take the plunge" (not to mention the many tech support emails with Amy).

As happy as I was to be finished with high school, I was even happier to know that I was leaving LA. I moved to the Bay Area (only to come to LA to visit family, Caroline and Beth) and began college at a small Catholic University (sound familiar?). After a year and a half of amazing political science study, I couldn't help but wonder why I was still in an environment that was too stifling. I left College of Notre Dame and moved to San Francisco where I graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State. I began teaching during college and continued through my 10 years in SF. It was wonderful to be in SF with so much of my family and great friends, including Caroline and Beth who were both in Northern CA for a time.

I met Rick in 1995 (in SF although he is a New Yorker) through a family whose children I taught - very unexpected, but very wonderful. Very fun story for us, but boring for everyone else, so ... We were married November 1997 and moved to Grenada a month later where Rick went to MD school. We lived there 2 years, and it was heaven. I was lucky to land 2 great jobs while there 1) at an NGO on the med school campus where I was responsible for fundraising activities and grant writing and 2) as a faculty member, working with medical students. It was a magical time for us (mostly for me), easy living on the beach, getting to know amazing people and enjoying a beautiful island. Our first son, Justin, is our "island" baby and he was born in LA in 2/2000. I came home to have him, as birthing in a 3rd world country was strongly discourage by the MD's in Grenada. 4 months later (6/2000), we moved to Brooklyn, where we lived for 18 months while Rick finished year 3 in medical school. We then moved to Princeton, NJ, for Rick's 4th year and where Ryan, our #2, was born 12/2001. Rick began his residency in Phoenix, AZ in 2002. Phoenix was great for the time we were there, especially because I had a super teaching position at a wonderful school. Then...Surprise, Surprise! A little over a year after we arrived in Phx, Evan, our #3 was born in 7/03. Fortunately or unfortunately... my teaching tenure in Phoenix is marked by absences - baby absences that is. Baby #4, Miya, joined our family in 2/2005. After Miya came, I quit teaching and was "happy" to be home with our little ones, although 4 children under 5 can be grueling...

In June 2006, we left Phoenix (to move for Rick's fellowship) shortly after the market dropped which made the move to VA all that more stressful! Our leaving Phx was quite a sight: Rick had the BIG Penske truck with our Camry on a trailer, and I had our Surburban, filled with 4 children, my sister-in-law and a 12ft UHaul on the back. 3.5 days later, we pulled into Charlottesville, VA with a shitload of crap and 2 mortgages!!! Anyway, Charlottesville is dreamy and it might be the place where we totally unpack (we still have wedding gifts in unopened boxes), but we won't know until next summer when Rick is finishing up his fellowship.

It has been an amazing life so far and I wouldn't change much, except that I wish I could remember more of the Chaminade details that some of you have. NOT!! I truly believe that I have blocked them out...

Thanks for reading my life on epaper... I haven't even made a dent in the bottle of wine I am drinking - how pathetic! I suppose I could go on and on, but I won't.

Take Care,
Mona Sethi