Grateful Dead Was My Favorite

In high school I was a hippie (minus the drugs) so I’m sure some of the things I did during those four years will not surprise you.

Grateful Dead,Tattoo,My Time as Mom
On my ankle

During my high school years I…

1) Got a tattoo of a Grateful Dead turtle (shown above)

2) Pierced my own ears with an ice cube and a needle (several times)

3) Had my belly button pierced (I wasn’t brave enough to do it by myself)

4) Got in trouble more times than I can count for not wearing shoes at school

5) Played rugby for two years

6) Puked in a measuring cup after drinking way too much vodka

7) Went to Independent Studies for my junior year and attended college classes at the local community college

8) Worked full time my junior and senior year at a drive through coffee shop

9) Made my own clothes (I really wish I had pictures of the hippie skirts and shirts  I used to make. It would leave you saying WTF?)

10) Saw more concerts than I can remember and loved every single one of them (Sadly, though I never got to see Grateful Dead since Jerry Garcia passed away before I got the chance)

Yes, I really was a hippie back then. But I did shave my pits. And my legs.

Hi and welcome! My name is Jessica Torres and I'm a homeschooling mom of two adorably insane girls on the path to greener living. I'm also self declared iPhone addict and lover of all things Apple. When not attached to my kids, my iPhone, or my laptop, you can find me creating cocktail recipes. Subscribe by RSS Feed or by email to join in the fun over here.

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122 Responses to Grateful Dead Was My Favorite

  1. Carri
    Twitter:
    says:

    That’s funny because I was the complete opposite. So NOT a hippie. I wouldn’t know a Grateful Dead song if I heard it.
    Carri recently posted..Have I Mentioned Husbands Are Disgusting?

  2. Stasha
    Twitter:
    says:

    I wore bellbottoms in high school! They used to be my moms too. You wild, flower child! Love that you played rugby, major points for that one Jessica!!
    Stasha recently posted..Monday Listicles / BITB Edition

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I had a pair or two of bellbottoms also.

      Rugby was fun back in high school. Not sure I’m cut out for it anymore.

  3. I never would have guessed that about you! Thanks for sharing your high school days with us :)
    Runnermom-jen recently posted..Scavenger Hunt Sunday

  4. Katie E
    Twitter:
    says:

    Not much like me in high school :) I would like to see pictures of the clothes you made!
    Katie E recently posted..Monday Listicles: High School

  5. I love that you’re a hippie at heart! I have a dead bear on my ankle and made a couple GD concert but only had tickets to the actual show once out of 3 concerts. Please if you come across any pics of your homemade clothes, do share!
    Coffee Lovin’ Mom recently posted..Cappuccino Crunch Bars for the Sweet Tooth

    • Jessica Torres says:

      So cool to hear you have a dancing bear on your ankle. I got the dancing turtle because I loved turtles at the time. I don’t think I have any pictures of the clothes I made but if I ever find them I will post.

  6. What? What a rebel you were! Who would’ve thought! I wasn’t allowed – seriously! – to get anything pierced until I was 20. Apparently, the whole lead by fear and intimidation thing worked on me.. for a while anyway.
    Cookie’s Mom recently posted..The High School Me

  7. Kimberly
    Twitter:
    says:

    I would love to see pictures of these clothes you made. Knowing the you that I know today still kind of shocks me about your hippie days.
    Kimberly recently posted..Without Regret

  8. I saw so many Dead shows…and then Jerry Band when the Dead got banned from Hartford for excessive drugs. I could never do my own piercings, such a huge wimp. Ahhh, the good old days.
    Practical Parenting recently posted..TV Appearance: Back to School Stress

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I wish I could have seen the Dead play before Jerry passed away. I saw a few concerts with the rest of the band but it just wasn’t the same.

  9. Galit Breen
    Twitter:
    says:

    Love this, girl! Sounds like you had a fab high school time!
    Galit Breen recently posted..Giving In

  10. LOVE this. I never got to see them either- Jerry died the year I graduated high school. I pierced my belly button myself. I shouldn’t have done that. It lasted only a little while and then hurt too much. Later I had it done at a tattoo place and got the barbell kind. I am still pretty surprised I never got the Phish “fish” symbol tattoo I had planned for my ankle. Just spent my money on something else. Probably concert tickets! I also still have my big bulky head shop sweater. Will never give that thing up.

    Steph
    adventures in babywearing recently posted..Dear shadow alive and well

  11. Ado
    Twitter:
    says:

    I love hippies. So cool you were one in high school.
    My dad was actually friends with Jerry Garcia – they exchanged Xmas gifts every year! I never knew about his friendship until he was much older and wearing a funky tie and I commented on it. My dad (seriously conservative Republican, the anti-hippie…) said, “Oh, a friend of mind designs these ties – I have a closet full of them.”
    He turns the tie over…and it said “Jerry Garcia.”
    My dad said, “Yeah – he’s in some hippie band. You wouldn’t have heard of him.”
    I’m like, “DAD —-> You’re FRIENDS with Jerry Garcia??!!”
    He had zero idea that the guy was famous.
    Isn’t that a hoot?
    Love that you went barefoot and played rugby! Wow!
    Ado recently posted..The Way Things Were

  12. Amanda
    Twitter:
    says:

    Hee! I was a pretty big fan of the Dead for a little while myself. My favourite shirt was white with a big purple dancing bear on it. Oh! And the patches I sewed onto my backpack…
    Also, Birkenstocks with thick grey wool socks. Stylish AND functional, am I right??? But I was never dedicated (or handy) enough to make my own clothes.
    Amanda recently posted..Letter to Lilah – The High School Years

  13. I totally did not peg you as a high school hippie. This calls for pictures, girl!!

    I was a dork and a nerd in high school. Sigh.
    Alison@Mama Wants This recently posted..I Do Not Regret

  14. Yeah….so I was a total hippie + the drugs (You are probably not surprised), had my belly button pierced, had my tongue pierced, got a hippie flower tattoo, attending more Grateful Dead concerts than you can imagine.

    And?

    Even though I was a hippie…I too shaved my pits and legs.
    Rachel {at} Mommy Needs a Vacation recently posted..Man Surgery

  15. Tracie
    Twitter:
    says:

    Now I am so sad that there are no pictures of your homemade hippie skirts.
    Tracie recently posted..A Child Was Raped And No One Told The Police

  16. Barbara
    Twitter:
    says:

    I would have never guessed that about you! I think we are going to have to see some of these pictures of the homemade clothes!
    Barbara recently posted..3 short days

  17. Jessica says:

    Ha! I would have never guessed about the tattoo. It’s kind of cool though that you now have a badge marking that time in your life. I’m sure your kids will be thoroughly impressed with your coolness!
    Jessica recently posted..SOC Sunday. Life with Two Under Two

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I wonder if my kids will know who The Grateful Dead are when they get older. They will probably think I’m lame if I make them listen to some songs.

  18. Elena
    Twitter:
    says:

    I can totally see all of this. Seriously, where are those pictures of the homemade skirts? I’m with Carri – I was the total oppositve and couldn’t name a Dead song if I tried. That’s pretty crazy you played Rugby – that sport is hardcore.

  19. Jackie
    Twitter:
    says:

    I guess it’s pretty obvious you left that lifestyle in high school, but I too would have loved to see those skirts!
    Rugby is pretty kickass, good for you!

  20. liz says:

    This totally cracks me up! I never would have figured you for a hippie, and I didn’t realize you had a tattoo.
    liz recently posted..Why I Would Make an Awful “House Hunter’s” Guest

  21. jacqui
    Twitter:
    says:

    Who would’ve guessed that you were ever a hippie? And an athletic hippie at that? I like it when people do their own thing and don’t follow the crowd all the time. So, I’m very happy to read your list!
    jacqui recently posted..It Is Unwise To Mock The Poet…

  22. Rugby is such a tough sport! I am so impressed you played it.
    JDaniel4′s Mom recently posted..Mommy Moments and Frankenstein Stitches

  23. I SO love that you were a hippie! I didn’t get my Grateful Dead on until college and afterwards. But I’m old enough to have seen Jerry in concert. Freakin awesome.
    Jen {at} take2mommy recently posted..An Election Day Fix

  24. Natalie
    Twitter:
    says:

    Ha ha I want to see some pics of those Hippie Day!
    Natalie recently posted..A Fun Time Had by All

  25. Dana K
    Twitter:
    says:

    LOL I used to be a regular at a friend’s band’s shows. They were freaking death metal. I shit you not. Totally does not/did not fit my MO.

    I was the girl next door in high school…except for all of the destruction/defacing of public property I committed.

    No, I’m not giving more details at this time. I’m not sure of the statute of limitations. ;-)
    Dana K recently posted..5 Things That Make a Camping Trip Great

  26. christina
    Twitter:
    says:

    but you missed the best part of being a hippie! ;) i kid. sort of. ;D
    christina recently posted..High School Listicle

  27. Christi says:

    Oh, I LOVED the dead! I saw them in concert a couple times before Jerry died, including his very last Vegas concert. That was quite a show! I managed to avoid ever getting a tattoo, but I did have my eyebrow pierced and I owned a healthy collection of hemp jewelry. :-)

  28. hehe. hippies are awesome … you actually sound a lot like my sister who did many similar things :)
    Devan @ Accustomed Chaos recently posted..My Husband Has Rekindled His Affair With Lynda

  29. Just Jennifer
    Twitter:
    says:

    So cool that you admitted all this to us! Just goes to show what a totally different lifetime high school was for most people.
    Just Jennifer recently posted..High School Me

  30. Oh we are very similar but I admit I went through a long phase of no shaving.
    tracy@sellabitmum recently posted..Kid Things You Do When Your Kids Are Not Around

  31. Amanda Austin
    Twitter:
    says:

    You honestly do not strike me as a hippie at all. You should totally do a make your own clothes tutorial so people can pin it ;)
    Amanda Austin recently posted..No regrets

    • Jessica Torres says:

      Ha! It was basically a bunch of square patches sewed together to make skirts. Kind of like wrapping a quilt around your body.

  32. Jessica
    Twitter:
    says:

    I wouldnt have ever guessed you were a hippie! I was the complete opposite in highschool. I was a preppy bitch, and not so proud of it. That tattoo?! Badass.
    Jessica recently posted..Soccer Mom? You Mean Soccer Bitch.

  33. MamaTrack
    Twitter:
    says:

    Nope–totally not surprised. By any of it. ;)
    MamaTrack recently posted..Baby Love

  34. Julie says:

    That tattoo! I am cracking up. And actually kind of surprised.

    You were a bit of a rebel even then, eh?
    Julie recently posted..Monday Meals: Tomato Basil Soup and Grilled Gruyère Sandwiches

  35. I was a hippie by default. We didn’t have much money so I shopped at Goodwill, never cut my hair, didn’t know how to apply make-up so I didn’t wear any and just really loved Bob Marley, I still do.
    Marie@feedingfive recently posted..Yeah x 3

  36. Emmy
    Twitter:
    says:

    Well glad you shaved :) . Your high school years sound a lot more exciting than mine.

  37. Now I feel like a ‘good girl’ or just really old …
    By Word of Mouth Musings recently posted..Monday’s Muse – World Moms Blog

  38. Mirjam
    Twitter:
    says:

    Wow, never would have thought you had a tattoo.
    And I demand to see pictures of this hippie version of you! (pretty please.)
    Mirjam recently posted..Sundown

  39. You pierced your own ears? GAH. That gives me the chills just thinking about it!
    Nicole at the Boy House recently posted..Knowing Me, Knowing You, The Time Change Edition

  40. Never would have pegged you a hippie chick! Can not believe you pierced your own ears. Glad you shave your pits though. That could be tragic otherwise! :)
    Cam – Bibs & Baubles recently posted..Back to the Beginning

  41. Mommy2¢ says:

    I thought Grateful Dead had a bear?? Your description of yourself reminds me of like 99% of the kids I went to school with in all my art classes. I was an art major. It’s funny looking back at all the phases we went through as kids. :)
    Mommy2¢ recently posted..BITB Livin it up High School Style!

    • Jessica Torres says:

      There is a dancing bear and a dancing turtle for the Dead. I loved turtles in high school so that’s why I went with the turtle instead of the bear.

  42. Tonya says:

    Interesting… some things I knew, but most I did not. I love learning about you!

    I dated a guy who loved the Grateful Dead in high school, so I’ve smoked my shared of second hand pot and partied with twirlers. All were amazing!
    Tonya recently posted..Be Enough Me

  43. I would never in all my life have guessed that you were hippified in high school. Just goes to show how we aren’t necessarily the same people we were back then. I really enjoyed your list!
    Miss Marina Star recently posted..Back in High School

  44. Tracy
    Twitter:
    says:

    Ohhh, boy. I was a TOTAL hippie. I only got to see the Dead once before Jerry died, but I went to about 20 Phish shows where i almost always lost my shoes. (I *may* have been a hippie + a few drugs). I’m sure I know EXACTLY the style of shirt and skirts you used to make bc I made them, too! Hilarious.

    Piercing your own ears? Badass. I’m woozy even thinking about it.
    Tracy recently posted..Run, NYC, run!

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I love that you made your own clothes too. I made many skirts and shirts during my hippie days. No idea what happened to them since then.

  45. So many layers to you! I really must see a picture of your hippie self to get the full effect. I was more the Def Leopard wannabe rocker type, but only in junior high. And just thinking about piercing my own ears makes me a little ill–I think I’d pass out.
    Grumpy Grateful Mom recently posted..The Toddler Olympics

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I wish I had pictures of my hippie days. The only one I have is my senior year portrait but it doesn’t give the full effect.

  46. This is a whole new side of you, Jess. I dig it.
    Robin @ Farewell, Stranger recently posted..The Two Thieves

  47. You sound awesome- then and now! I was always too wimpy to pierce anything cool.
    sara@domesticallychallenged recently posted..I’m (semi) Delusional?

  48. Jessica
    Twitter:
    says:

    I pierced my own belly button and puked in a styrofoam cup after too much vodka. I wonder what our girls will do.
    Jessica recently posted..A Break Up Letter

  49. I couldn’t have been more different. I was such a preppy in high school, and I guess it was preparing me for the dressy clothes I have to wear every day at work now. I love that when you get to college though people stop caring so much about that and just like you for who you are. There are so many people in my life now that I never would have been around in high school, and some of the best people I know are who I have in my life now.

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I am really glad I decided to put off college for a couple years after high school. I needed to get away from the high school crowd. They were not my kind of people. College was so much better for me after a couple year break.

  50. Jamie says:

    I am so glad you threw the shaving part in there at the end because I was thinking about it the whole time!!
    Jamie recently posted..play that funky music

  51. Carolyn says:

    Just saw Furthur last month, (Phil and Bob of The Grateful Dead + others) it was great. If you get a chance, check them out. {We took our 5 mos. old in Feb to see them, and she loved it, I think. She never cried :) }
    Love the tattoo, do you still have it?
    Carolyn recently posted..Don’t Spend to Save

  52. Bruna
    Twitter:
    says:

    I never would have imagined you as the hippie-type and you cracked me up with the shaving comment in there. Oh and the self-piercing got me. You were brave, girl!
    Bruna recently posted..i see you with my heart

  53. Kimberly says:

    Now the question is…did you use deoderant???
    Kimberly recently posted..One Washing Machine That Likes To Dance Across Your Laundry Room Floor For Sale

  54. MommaKiss
    Twitter:
    says:

    I’m not a dead fan, sorry – but my husband is. Hard core. I worked 30 hour weeks my Jr. and Sr. year as well – at a drug store. I got to help the pharmacist dole out the meds!
    MommaKiss recently posted..HALP! We’re being photographed.

  55. Mrs. Weber
    Twitter:
    says:

    Aww, I’m a hippie at heart. Always have been. I always shaved, too, but I definitely was really into the feminist culture in H.S. and I also made my own clothes and shopped thrift stores to help save mother earth. I’ve promised my mom I wouldn’t forget what a little independent (and I’m sure annoying at time) I was…I know it’s going to come back to me in karma!
    Mrs. Weber recently posted..If You Give A Baby A Book…

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I’m sure some of the things I did when I was a teenager are going to come back and bite me in the butt when I’m a teenager.

  56. My Inner Chick
    Twitter:
    says:

    –Oh, I love naughty girls!

    2) Pierced my own ears with an ice cube and a needle…

    I did, too. (once) Xx

    You rock.
    My Inner Chick recently posted..Broken Halleluiahs

  57. Leighann says:

    You rebel!
    The tattoo is sooooo cool
    I waited till college to get my first one.
    And piercing your own ears?
    You are crazy!
    Leighann recently posted..Fashion Trend Setter!

  58. KIR
    Twitter:
    says:

    I love getting little glimpses of the girl you were and then the girl you are now. I can telll you that you have WORKED your whole life for every single thing……you can tell, you have a true love and thankfullness of what you’ve accomplished. I think that it my favorite thing about you….your devotion and dedication to things.
    KIR recently posted..RemembeRED: Who Made Him King Of Anything?

    • Jessica Torres says:

      I definitely have worked for what I have today. It’s been a long road but I’ve been doing my best to stay on top of it. Thank you Kir.

  59. Greta
    Twitter:
    says:

    No shoes?! That’s too funny. I wish you had pictures of the clothes, too!
    Greta recently posted..These Are A Few Of My Favorite…

  60. That’s really cool that you made your own clothes. Will we be seeing any future designs?
    Rach (DonutsMama) recently posted..Naturally Made and a Giveaway

  61. Jess
    Twitter:
    says:

    Embarrassed to say I pierced my belly button too. I did not do a very good job. So funny because I just don’t picture you as a barefoot hippy. Hehe.
    Jess recently posted..Be Kind.

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