A walk down memory lane (or Oak Drive if you will)

This past weekend was Colgate's homecoming and my first visit since my graduation in May 2012! Friday morning Emily, Eri, Boots, Caroline and I got an early start and headed back to Hamilton to visit. The four hour drive was filled with conversation as we talked about our four years at Colgate.

Once we arrived we drove straight to the Barge to enjoy our favorite sandwiches. The Barge, a local coffee shop, was where I picked up my coffee every morning senior year before I headed off to class or the library. Eri and I always had our weekly Tuesday lunch there (a Barge Betty) and our weekly Sunday morning fuel for the long library day ahead of us (breakfast sandwich). I ordered the Barge Betty (hummus, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, craisins and sunflower seeds on whole wheat) and we brought our lunch to the Village Green to enjoy outside in the nice weather.

The Barge: One of my favorite places in Hamilton

We quickly checked into the house we rented for the weekend and headed up to campus to visit the Academic Quad and the buildings we spent so much of our time in. We stopped at the Ho Science Center where all of my Geography classes were held and even though it was late afternoon my advisor was luckily still in his office. Not having seen him since graduation weekend, it was great to catch up since so much has happened. My geography professors were so helpful and a large reason why I loved my major and my classes so being able to see my advisor was a nice surprise.

From Top left: A beautiful view, The Ho, the Chapel,
My sorority house (Gamma Phi) & Case Library

We then headed to the Academic Quad to actually enjoy our beautiful campus. No trip to Colgate would be complete without a stop at West Hall, our freshman dorm, where most of us called home out first year.

Emily, Boots and I on the Quad

On our way back to our house we stopped at Case, where we spent the large majority of our time studying. We visited our usual third floor table and reminisced about the countless hours we spent there.

Visiting our usual library spot

Friday night after dinner at La Iguana we headed to the Glass, the Bacon and lastly the Jug.

Saturday morning we returned to the Barge for our breakfast sandwiches and coffee and then headed to the Farmers Market where we picked up some ingredients for dinner. We met up with Sary and then headed down to the (non existent) tailgate. With our failed attempt we meandered back downtown and sat outside enjoying the nice weather. We were also able to Skype with Katie, who's currently at Med School at the US Naval Academy and sadly couldn't make the trip. It was so nice to catch up and hear how she's doing! Saturday night we had a home cooked meal of Arthur Avenue pumpkin raviolis, plain raviolis with my mom's fresh tomato sauce and a fresh local salad with veggies. Later that night we headed down to the new brewery on Broad Street, Good Natured Brewery, which we all loved and wished was there when we were seniors. We ended the night at the Bacon and of course Slices, our late night pizza stop.

Sunday morning after breakfast and one last drive through campus we began our drive home. It was so great to visit and spend quality time with my friends. Colgate will always hold a special place in my heart and I know we will be back.

View of the Campus from Broad Street

Study Abroads Reunion: Boston

I returned home to the states on Thursday, just in time to see my study abroad friends. Amy, Sondra, Britt and I have been getting together for one weekend each year since we met in Lugano in 2010. We decided to start out with hometown visits. The first year Amy and I headed out to Indiana, last year we all met in NY and this year was Boston! Boston is such a great city and to spend a weekend there with these girls was amazing. I love how seamlessly we go right back to where we left off: the mark of a true friendship. Sondra and Britt arrived Thursday night and Friday morning they toured the city of Boston. I arrived Friday mid-afternoon just in time for our visit to the Harpoon Brewery. Amy and I split the UFO flight which included, pumpkin, raspberry, white and hefeweizen beer. We then had dinner at La famiglia in the North End and ended the night by picking up some cannolis from the famous Mike's Pastry.

Out in Boston

Saturday morning we headed to Concord with Amy's mom and grandma for Brunch at The Colonial. It was my first American breakfast since being back and it didn't disappoint! I had an American cheese and tomato omelet and my first real cup of American coffee. 

Outside The Colonial after a wonderful Brunch

Always up for a little bit of history we began to take in the Concord sites. We headed to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to see the graves of famous writers past: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Lousia May Alcott, Ralph Emerson and David Thoreau. We then visited Walden's pond, Alcott's house and the battle ground where the shot heard around the world was fired.

Tombstones with the pens, pencils and other gifts left behind

Not wanting to waste time we then hopped in the car and headed to Rockport, MA where the famous Motif Number 1 is located. (The famous red building that many artists have painted). We grabbed a quick lunch on the water and then strolled the quaint streets. We ended the day with a trip to Gloucester where we visited a lighthouse and headed out to the jetty for a quick stop. Having crammed everything in we headed back to Amy's where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her parents.

Amy, Me, Sondra & Britt in Rockport

Sunday morning we stopped at Bagel World (there are 4 locations in the Boston area and I highly recommend a trip there. The bagels are amazing). We relished our last few minutes together over bagels and cream cheese and briefly spoke of next years trip (we have a great idea...but I'm keeping that secret for now). It was so good to see these three girls and I will countdown the days till next years reunion. I am so glad we are fortunate enough to be able to see each other every year and that the distance between us doesn't matter. These girls mean so much to me and I am so glad we have formed a lifetime bond between us.

Hometown Visits