I just got home yesterday from spending an extended weekend back in my "second-home" of Minnesota. It was wonderful to be able to spend quality time with my bestie, Laura, and to see several other people near-and-dear to my heart.
I spent Friday at Gustavus. It felt as though I had never left, but none of my friends were there. I do miss the campus life and all the benefits of going to college, but this experience was good for closure. I would really like to go back for Homecoming, however, when there is a better chance of seeing fellow alumni! My sister-in-law, Robin, will be going to Gustavus's rival school, St. Olaf, so hopefully we will get to go see her next fall and make a stop at GAC. Oh, I also got to go to Patty's, the local bar, and River Rock, the local coffee shop which serves amazing food. I had intended to order PJ's pizza but only remembered as I was driving out of town. That's for next time!
Saturday morning I ran the Get In Gear 5k race in Minneapolis. It was pouring down rain and a little nippy but once I got going it was nice to run in cool weather and beautiful scenery. To make things even more great, I had my Laura waiting for me at the finish line to cheer me on and with warm, dry clothes ready for me! I made decent time and ran with a 9:36 pace. For the last long stretch I decided to pace with this little boy, probably about 7 yrs old, and he certainly challenged me! I was huffing and puffing trying to keep breathing and not wimp out and he was just trotting along! It was a good race.
Saturday afternoon was filled with friends. I got to visit my senior-year roommate, Alysha, and toured her new townhouse. We had a yummy Mexican lunch then I headed out to the Zeta Chi Phi Blue Diamond Formal, which happened to be that same weekend I was there! I definitely didn't spend enough time with these wonderful women but it was nice to see everyone, especially the new members! Saturday night Laura and I made yummy Trader Joe's homemade pizza. It was delicious.
Sunday Laura and I attempted to go to the Farmer's Market but realized most of the Farmer's were back in their warm, cozy beds and not in the breezy rainy conditions of the day. I did have a magnificent cup of freshly squeezed orange juice that made my day. Then we found a boutique called Patinas where I gladly left a sizable stack of cash. This store is hard to describe... it has so much of everything. I mostly bought a few neat decorations for the apartment. After an informative stop at Saint Sabrina's tattoo shop, we had lunch at Chin's Asia Fresh, a favorite restaurant of mine that is only found in Minnesota. We followed this with a very productive mall shopping experience and headed home to get ready for dinner!
Chino Latino is by far the best restaurant I have experienced in the Lower 48. It is a fusion of Mexican and Asian/South-Asian foods in an upscale yet satirical atmosphere. They have dishes with names like "Cuban Pork Roast Crisis" (my absolute favorite) and "The Fire Goddess' Sacrificial S'mores Platter" (we had this too) and drinks named "Kama Sutra Mama" and "El Orgazmo". Most everything on the menu is incredible unique in flavor and everything is super tasty. Here Laura and I met two of my bridesmaids, Laura D. and Jessie for some well-needed catch-up time. It was great to see both of them but our dinner was over way too soon.
Monday I flew out and did Chemistry homework on the plane (plus an obligatory homework nap). It was nice, I must admit, to be back in the warmth even though that warmth is rapidly increasing (a forecasted high of 92 today). However, I will surely miss the beautiful grass and trees!
