this weekend, i went back to college.
i left on friday after work, made the 3-hour drive to college station, home of my beloved texas a&m university, listening to some pretty sweet tunes [the head and the heart, seryn, summer heart, and matthew perryman jones, to name a few].
my dear friend thomas let me stay at his apartment, which was pretty much my second home during college, so it brought back lots of memories.
i got there around 9, so we had a chance to catch up on each other’s lives before getting ready to go out.
then it was the usual – pre-party, which was at a friend’s apartment, who also lives at the lofts [the complex that thomas lives at],
northgate [specifically mad hatters, our favorite bar and the place that pretty much defines our college weekend evenings],
after-party, at another friend’s apartment,
and finally, chilling at thomas’s, making something delicious to eat using whatever we could find in the fridge+pantry, and talking and laughing until 5 in the morning.
then, it’s waking up at noon, recalling all the funny events of the night before, getting ready for the pool.
some of our friends live at an apartment complex called campus village, and we all went to their pool for a few hours [they have a lazy river], and then headed back to the lofts pool, where we stayed until the 7 o’clock shade took over the courtyard area.
naptime until 8:30,
picked up dinner from rosie pho’s, one of our favorite asian restaurants in cs,
more naptime until 11, when our friend lauren [who is also thomas’s next-door neighbor] came in and got us up so we could get ready for northgate.
{left to right, top to bottom: 1. view from the top of the lofts garage. 2. campus village lazy river. 3. guacapotle burger and sweet potato fries. 4. thomas, lauren, and me at mad hatters. 5. my friend carla and me at ng. 6. northgate. 7. thomas and i at the lofts pool.}
even though i only graduated a month ago, i was so nostalgic being back there this weekend. the feeling of being college is just different – it’s carefree, with the feeling of independence but no huge responsibilities. what a routine – waking up late, going to the pool, napping in the early evening, going to northgate, staying up late, and then doing it all again the next day! it’s funny when i think about it, but it was so comfortable, so easy. when did we have time for studying?! ;)
one of my favorite moments was after northgate on saturday night [it was actually in the wee hours of sunday morning!], we went up to the top of the lofts garage, where there’s a beautiful view of college station. as i looked out over the twinkling lights and the dark horizon, i kept thinking how special and unique this town and the people in it are. there is no other place like it in the world, and i feel lucky to have had the opportunity to live there and be a part of such a great community. it will always hold a special place in my heart.
thank you to thomas and everyone else who made this weekend so fun! xoxo