Halloweentown

Ringing in October was easy in BEAUTIFUL Richmond, VA. Flying through North Carolina and being in the hometown of 2 NCAA tourny basketball teams did get me a little anxious for basketball season (probably a little too soon! haha). Didn't run in to Harrison Barnes, unfortunately ;)

The University of Richmond was RICH in history.. see what I did there? I called this post Halloweentown because Richmond is home of the Spiders. What a strange mascot!

The college is gorgeous, with brick pathways winding through the rolling hills of the school. The lake in the middle separates the 2 colleges of the university, which is still split into a women's college and a men's college: Westhampton college for women and The Richmond College for men. Funny that they still have separate administration, and even different policies about behavior/requirements! I thought that was really interesting, and wonder when, if ever, they will consolidate or at least make the standard requirements the same.

At the University of Richmond, they don't have a chapter facility or even a chapter room/lodge of any sort (the fraternities have "lodges", and they are working on a plan to build sorority "cottages" in the near future for members to meet in) so I got to hang out on the campus all day and eat a lot of meals in the "D-Hall" aka the dining hall... Bringing back memories of freshman year!

Here are some pictures from the school!

Westhampton College Dean's office

Sciences building (aka where I would have been for all my classes). Really cool inside and split into all the different types of sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, etc...)

Chapel on campus.. GORGEOUS! They have an incoming freshman ceremony and outgoing ceremony for graduating seniors

Belltower which was right over the library, so it "rang" (you'll see the reason for the quotes around rang in the next couple pictures) on the hour and played songs at noon and 5pm.

One of the Quads

Yeah. Those are speakers in the clocktower, so its just a recording of bells ringing. LAME!

More of campus :) So pretty

SPOOKY SPIDERS! Their new football stadium

Spiderwebs all over everything! I almost felt bad about killing a spider by the end of the week.

Spidey field. Kyle wasn't happy when I told him where I was, still a little bitter about UNI's loss against the Spiders in the semifinals for the championship game or something like that.. I thought it was funny he even knew what the University of Richmond's mascot was!

International Quad

Sig Ep was founded at the University of Richmond!

New basketball/workout facility. Felt pretty legit like I would get mistaken for a women's basketball player when I got to workout and play basketball inside... but my father rudely informed me that I would NOT be confused as a baller.

Richmond College Dean's office

The lake and the Student Union which is right on top of the water!

Bridges connecting the two colleges and meeting at the gazebo/island in the middle. The "curse" is that if you kiss someone at the gazebo you will get married. I thought it was funny they called it a "curse"

Ok, I realize I looked like the international students taking pictures of ducks on Lake Laverne at ISU, so I stopped taking these pictures so I wouldn't embarrass myself.

Another view of the union from the trails that go around the lake!

All in all, it was SO fun and great weather. I got to see a lot, learn a lot, and meet a lot of great women (including one whose boyfriend was the long snapper and the placekick holder for the football team. Don't ask me how that works ;) )

I flew out bright and early at 6am, and was SOOOOOOO excited to get to go back to CF and IOWA for the first time since July! I have never been away from Iowa for that long, so I was SO excited flying into Des Moines and seeing my Mom at the airport!!!!!! ____ party! (You know what I'm talking about, julee)

Kevin's highschool football game.. CFHS victory over West High and UNI Homecoming, friends, and a panther victory=a GREAT family friend and football weekend! 

K Brahh getting after it!

UNI tailgating with Sarah and April!

Kyle just casually punting in the middle of the band, while I casually take pictures of him, haha.

sare tul!

Grandma and Bob, representing UNI purple and gold!

Kyle and Hub, just some roomates playing catch ;)

It was confusing for the coaches to know which #29 to put in to the game...

my favorite CFHS juniors!

Kyle pleasing his fans :)

After the go go go go weekend, it was off to Iowa City and the Megabus to Chicago and Evanston/Northwestern....

Sad to leave, but even more excited to come home again!!! :)

LOVE YOU ALL!
x's and o's from the Field of Dreams :)

Allison

AB in Normal...

Putting the AB in Normal, Illinois that is! Ok well more like Bloomington.. but it's more punny to get to call it ABnormal with me there :)

Here is a brief summary of my visit to Illinois Wesleyan:

Ames Library: Not to be confused with the Ames, Iowa libraries. Actually it is a really new/nice/modern library ranked high on some list of libraries. Who knew there even was a list that ranked libraries?

I dont know, maybe a campus clocktower?

The football field.. gotta take a picture for the brothers!

Reminded me of CFHS's field kind of?

Ames Library!

Had to get a picture of the name

Very unsure............ ABnormal

 ABnormal was definitely my experience there, with the changing of the weather and the crazy bus rides to get there, the week was very interesting! The weekend after, Gracie, another LC from LSU, and I stayed with an alumna, her husband, and Rudy the dog in Chicago. We had so much fun exploring the city, and going to the LSU "Chicageaux" alumni group gamewatch to cheer the tigers on to a victory.. and then to the ISU alumni gamewatch to watch the cyclones and a VERY ugly game. We had fun though!

Gracie and I with Mike the Tiger

Outside Wrigley! We missed the showing of Ferris Buehlers Day Off on the field though :(

Slowly but surely catching up on this blog...

x's and o's from the Land of Lincoln
-Allison

Minnesotahh!

The visit I have looked forward to! Finally, a city where I feel like I might actually know someone.

I got to see lots of friends from the Twin Cities area during my week in Minneapolis, and it ended with my friends', Lindsey Loomer and Trent Jacobson, wedding! It was a Kappa/Sig Ep wedding, so a TON of ISU friends were there. It was SO good to see everyone and have a GREAT time at the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, the reception TOO fun, and of course Lindsey looked GORGEOUS!

First of all, I landed in Minneapolis and it was RAINY NASTY COLD!.. I guess I should have expected the cold part from MinneSNOWta!

The house at the U of M is actually houseS. 40 total live in the 2 houses, but one of them is called the "annex" where I got to stay. The members said they would run across the little driveway in between the houses to the kitchen during the winter in just their shorts and flip flops. CRAZY GIRLS! Especially since I know how cold and snowy it can get up there!

New Renovations in the main house!

My "home" for the week, the annex. The main house is to the left in this picture. To the right is I-35. Literally. Right there. We wont even get into my story about that, right mom and Kaitlyn?...

Main House! It even has a cute little swing hanging from the tree.

Sadly, my suitcase did not hold any warm clothes or shoes for me to wear during my stay in Minnesota, so I was trapped inside most of the time. I did get a campus tour and got to see the Mall part of campus which looks like ISU's campus by the library. The campus at the U of M is HUGE HUGE HUGE though, and there are different ones with shuttles to them all. Of course, I had to take a picture of the stadium. (Note: I refrained from bringing up the 2009 Insight Bowl results, even though it was tempting too. The people who go to the school admit their football team is not great, haha)

Not the greatest picture, but I have to admit the stadium was impressive and new looking. ALSO impressed by the BWW located right across the street. I'm suprised I didn't skip right over the stadium to take a picture of that!

My friend from school, Kaitlyn, who works at General Mills took me out for coffee one night, and we ended up having an interesting adventure in the great city of Minneapolis. Naturally, I had to go to Target, and we got our friend who was having a GOLDEN birthday (25 on the 25th) some golden gifts. We also decided it was a great idea to take pictures of our trip. The further details of this journey will remain untold...

GOLDEN ARCHES. Good idea, right?

Turns out, wrong idea....

Also, I got to see my Kappa friend, Kristin from ISU who I just found out moved up to the Twin Cities at the beginning of the semester, too! It was SOOO great catching up with her. She was the first person I met at ISU because she was a Cyclone Aide at my orientation. Her and my dad hit it off right away, so I know he was jealous I got to see her!

Adding to the ISU trend, I got to get lunch with Emily Davis, a fellow Kinesiology major, who lives in the Twin Cities. We went to Five Guys, another first for me! So great to catch up and we made homecoming/Living history farms race plans. 

For my first official weekend off, I got to stay with my friend, Kimberly, who lives with her sister Andrea in St. Paul. She came and picked me up (I feel so useless without a car), all my luggage, and took me to her and her sister's place... passing by many Mexican grocery stores and spanish signs, which I naturally translated for her. She had gotten stuff for a mexican fiesta feast, so we had a HUGE dinner and skyped with our friend Amanda in Nebraska. It was SOOOO fun to be reunited at last :)

OUR MEXICAN FEAST!!!

Our mexican desserts.. exactly what we ate when Kimmie, Amanda and I went to Mexico together.

The next day, Kimberly took me to meet up with our family friends, the Fullers, who were visiting Karly who now goes to Bethel! They had so very kindly agreed to bring me some warmer clothing, which was VERY necessary because I had only been prepared for the hot and humid summer weather of the south. I also sent plenty of clothing back with them, so don't worry, I stayed under the 50# limit (cutting it close, though!) 

Then, Kimberly chauffeured me across the cities to the hotel where the wedding reception was going to be and where my friends and I had a room for Saturday night. I owe Kimmie big time for giving up a lot of her morning to help this car-less one with huge amounts of luggage make her way everywhere (without a GPS, mind you! Now THATS a pro!) 

The wedding was SOOOO beautiful! It was great to see all my Delta Omicron ISU Kappa sistas ;) And SO fun to have a mini ISU reunion! Here are some pictures of us and the lovely couple. It was such a joy to share in their special day, and the reception of course was a blast!

Lizzie and I, roomates once again for the weekend!

 Annette was a bridesmaid, and Jim came from Delaware! Fav couple award :) besides the bride and groom of course!

 All the roomies for the weekend: Me, Ginny, Kelsey, and Lizzie

 Mr. and Mrs. Jacobsen cutting the cake!

Little Loomer and me! Beautiful maid of honor!

Got to see my big sis and big brother? Ok maybe thats going to far, but it was so great to see Heather and Mike. Crazy to think it was their wedding a year and a half ago!

 All the Kappas and the bride :)

 All of the Sig Eps serenading Lindsey!

Me, an LC, and 2 more LCs! I finally fit in! (Lizzie Clark and Lizzie Casper, get it?) 

All in all, a GREAT week that exceeded my expectations, and definitely wore me out. I am lucky that my cousin Brittany could meet up with me for breakfast on Sunday morning. We did have a difficult time deciding where to go, but no fear because Bernard's always figure it out and we wound up at a bagel place right of the interstate (at least, i think it was off the interstate. Luckily Brittany has a smart phone that was our handy dandy guide and we probably wouldnt have found a place without it. She also thankfully took me to the airport to catch my flight to O'Hare, which was its own adventure of finding the bus in Chicago to take me to Bloomington, and my next visit! Long Story Short: I survived. I made the bus. I made it to Bloomington in one piece.Hallelujah!

Love you all!

x's and o's from the Land of Lincoln
Allison