Pure Magic.

While Ian and Jeff were away for the weekend, the company I used to work for Arnold Advertising (now Arnold Communications) had a reunion Happy Hour.  Everyone whoever worked at DDB/Needham (which then became) Arnold Advertising (which then became) Arnold Communications or Circle.com was invited to attend. 

I worked at Arnold right out of college from 1994 to 1999.   My naive 20-something self thought every workplace was like this one and had no idea what the real world was really like.  To say working with this group of people was special is an understatement.  It was pure magic.  Don't get me wrong, we worked hard and put in long hours, but it didn't feel like work.  We really enjoyed being around each other. It was like a 60 hour party each week.  Seriously, we'd watch full length movies during lunch time in the conference room.  We'd have these unbelievable happy hours that went in to all hours of the night.   We'd happily stay late to work on a presentation or a new business pitch and order dinner together 3 to 4 nights each week.

The Happy Hour reunion was held at the bar area of a local steakhouse.  Easily 70 or so former Arnold employees attended.  We took over that bar and then some!  Almost every single person there was from the 5 years I worked at Arnold.  What a wonderful, wonderful trip down memory lane.  The laughs, the reminiscing, the smiles were flowing non-stop. 

It's funny, I have no desire whatsoever to go to a high school reunion.  The thought of walking back in a room full of my school mates from 7th to 12th grades makes me nausea.  I keep in touch with  maybe 3 or 4 people and that's fine with me.  I never need to increase that number.  Although, I do admit it is fun to hear what is happening to a few others, but I can get those updates from my close friends. 

When I heard this Arnold reunion was being formed, I couldn't wait to attend.  It didn't bother me that I'd be going solo because Jeff was out of town.  I wasn't concerned about how much weight I've gained in the last 20 years, or what I looked like or if I was going to say something stupid.  I didn't care that I no longer had a career I was proud of or making impressive waves in the work world.  I wasn't nervous walking in.

It was like a time machine transported me back to 1994.  Everyone looked exactly the same!  No one aged in the last 18 years (other than maybe 1 or 2 people).  And like no time had been lost, we all picked up where we left off.

I didn't realize how many people I had shared an office with.  At least 6 conversations started with different people coming up to me saying, "Remember when we shared an office together?"  HA! I guess I got around.  

After the happy hour, Kristin/Mike, John/Dana and I went to dinner at Wildfire.  We had reservations for 8:00pm. The great evening continued with a delicious dinner.  And of course the memories and laughs kept flowing.  We had opened Pandora's box at the happy hour and kept it going reminiscing during dinner. Gosh I love Kristin and John.  It is so wonderful to be around people who truly get how amazing this job was with the people we were lucky to work with.

Without a doubt that had to have been the best 5 years of my life working in an office.