This Sunday was no exception and we were awoken at 6AM by two ready-for-play girls. With breakfast of cinnamon rolls and eggs out of the way, the rest of our Sunday spanned before us. As we lounged around after breakfast, we asked, "What do we want to do today?" We could make it a lounge day or we could do the Science Center.. but I had a little itch for a road trip. We put our head's together and decided to go to Ames, Iowa- home of Iowa State University and where it all began, so to speak.
As we were driving through campustown and drove past the old dorms I lived in during my freshman and sophomore year, I couldn't help but reflect back on the four years I spent in Ames and the life lessons I learned from my experiences there. It was also a neat feeling to be driving around a town I spent four years in and be able to show Sophia where I lived and went to school. Not that she was too enthralled.. her only question was "When can I get out of the car?" But hungry bellies aside- we drove past Maple-Willow-Larch, past Memorial Union and the Campanile and finally, onto Welch Ave and past all of our old stomping grounds. While some things looked exactly the same, others not so much and I was also hit with the realization that life moves on and while I hold the four years I spent in Ames, Iowa near and dear to my heart, it's not necessarily the school, or the great living conditions in the dorms or the great food for the matter- it's the memories and the lifelong friendships I made. And that while I was driving around- the nostalgic feeling I have were from the images of us girls trekking home at 2AM from Sips on Welch Ave, it's studying with friends in Parks Library and trying to be quiet, and the nights of staying up late watching TV and talking and laughing. And it just wouldn't be the same without those exact same people, in that exact same moment.
So even though taking a drive down memory lane was fun, it's just not the same as Ames back in 04'. What was really awesome though, is that 11 years later, here I am driving around campus with my family. We showed Sophia where Will proposed, at the Campanile, and how I would walk to his dorm- Friley- from classes.
So now, since I'm so much wiser, I can share the 5 important life lessons I learned while in college at Iowa State:
1.) Don't take an 8AM class, especially if it falls on M,W, and Friday. You're just setting yourself up for failure, because Thirsty Thursday!
2.) Always, always, lock your apartment door- ESPECIALLY on VEISHEA weekend, you know the weekend that causes riots and brings hundreds of crazy, drinking people to campus.
3.) Dorm food ain't all that bad- especially when they do the grocery shopping, the cooking, and the cleaning. What was I thinking- trying to get out of the dorms?!
4.) Don't try to climb up your loft bed- especially if keg beer and a low tolerance for alcoholic beverages is involved.
5.) Balancing work and play- because you know, college is a good place to learn and edumacate yourself on important subjects! :)
 |
| Who remembers 507 Welch?! Thanks Bro T and Bro K for the memories! |
 | ||||||||
| :) |
 | ||||||||
| There she is.... where it all began.. |
 |
| And it couldn't be a post about Ames or ISU without a picture from Hickory Park! |
 |
| She loves her ice cream! |