Like clockwork – about every five, 10 or even 20 years – an innocent looking piece of paper or e-mail uncorks a surprising amount of emotion. Whether that invite fills you with great anticipation, inexplicable butterflies or curiosity, reunions can be a time of second chances, wonderful new memories and renewed friendships.
About 8 million people attend their high school reunion each year in the United States alone, according to Classmates.com, a top Web site for reconnecting, planning reunions and preparing to attend one. According to the site’s recent poll, about 80 percent of respondents plan to attend their next reunion. A reunion can be life changing. Friendships can be refreshed and romances can sometimes be rekindled.
While not everyone will reconnect with their former best friend or the love of their life, 50 percent of reunion poll respondents said they would like to be contacted by an old flame. Thanks to the Internet, it can be easy to find friends from your school days. Connecting with a few people from your past can make attending that upcoming reunion an easy decision.
Consider the following tips to help make the most out of your reunion:
Before the Big Day
* Get your RSVP and any requested materials in on time. If you can’t attend, post your information online, or ensure that the organizers have it, so friends can contact you and you get an invitation to your next reunion. While you’re at it – volunteer. It’s a great way to ease any “I won’t know anyone there” jitters.
* If you’ll be traveling solo, try to connect with at least one friend who’ll be attending too. Then, check out online communities, such as Classmates.com, where you can look up friends among its 40 million members. By learning about their current interests, you can ask questions they are eager to answer at the reunion. You can also join a message board and post your own information to start enjoying new connections and conversations. Basic memberships are free and invaluable for finding out who’s doing what and where.
* Spend some time before the reunion looking at old yearbooks. If you’re bringing a guest, let them have a peek too.
* Send an e-mail to people you care the most about so you can make plans to enjoy quality time together catching up over pre- or post-reunion drinks or a meal, without the competing chaos of hurried conversations at reunion events.
* Ditch the crash diet plan. If you want to lose 5 pounds or so do it, but don’t stress out over getting back to your old cheerleading days size.
* Decide in advance what you’ll wear (most invitations specify attire, but if you’re not sure, ask, or look at any online reunion information to confirm).
* Treat yourself to a new shirt, shoes, manicure or haircut, but remember, this isn’t the time to test out a completely new look. Get something in a color or style you already know flatters you, so you can feel confident and in style.
After the Reunion
If you missed seeing someone, see if you can track them down via an online service such as Classmates.com which offers a search function as well as a way for members to forward information they might have about someone. E-mail those you connected with to stay in touch in those five year spans between get-togethers, and be sure to send a thank you to the hard-working reunion committee.
Tips for Planners
* Create an online reunion page at a site such as Classmates.com. It’s a one-stop shop for finding school friends, forwarding information and posting get-together details.
* Be sure to suggest invitees check out the site before arriving to fill in any missing information about lost friends, etc. Starting a thread on a message center for your class year is a great way to spread the word and find the “missing.”
* Create and share a post-reunion photo album or Web site with easy-to-use online services such as PhotoSite.com and MySite.com. This is a fun way to show those no-shows what a fabulous time was had and encourage others to attend the next reunion.
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For more ideas on how to get the most out of your reunion, visit www.classmates.com. - ARA
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