If I were to describe our recent trip to the East Coast, it was so cozy. We ate at restaurants that have been our travel bucket list, strolled through Central Park, walked to High Line, saw Hell’s Kitchen at the Schubert theater and hung out in my sister’s dreamy Murray Hill studio, watched Gossip Girl and grabbed takeout from my favorite Chinese place that kept me alive when I lived in the city ten plus years ago. We visited bookstores, libraries and art museums and then went trick or treating with my brother and his family. It was a dream fall trip and I’m hoping to make this an annual trip.
Early Evening Plans
Have been feeling slightly under the weather for the past few days so I’m really looking forward to the end of the work day, picking up some chicken noodle soups and saltines, taking a hot bath with Dr. Teal’s lavender chamomile bath salts, maybe indulge in a little online shopping and calling it an early night.
For when you want to spend an hour or two in a bubble bath.
Booking an extended weekend getaway at this breathtaking Southern sanctuary.
On the hunt for a red dress for fall.
(College) Day in the Life
Day in the Life of College Girl (2006 Freshman Edition)
Weekday
6 AM: After about three snoozes, I’d get up, wash and moisturize face because the Indiana humidity was not kind to my skin, brush teeth at the sink station in our dorm, take ten minutes to decide on what I was going to wear for classes, lay it out on the bed and take a leisurely fifteen minute stroll outside.
6:40 AM: Head over to the dining hall for breakfast. This was honestly one of my favorite times of the day. Not many students would sit and eat at the dining hall because most college students don’t have time. As a morning and breakfast person, prioritizing my mornings was really important to me. I never wanted to feel rushed or feel like I was going to faint after half a day of classes and not eating.
8 -11 AM: First two/three classes of the day.
11:45 AM: Head back to the dining hall for lunch with friends/classmates.
12:30 AM: Change out course material/books, pick up my dorm space and head out for last class of the day.
1:45: Final class of the day which just happened to be a Yogalates.
3 PM: Start work shift at the front desk of my dorm.
7 PM: Each dorm had a study carol across the hallway, so I’d either head to the study space or walk over the library to study/work on assignments.
9:30 PM: Head back to dorm, quickly shower and read humanities course books until I fell asleep.
Thursday
2:45 PM: After last class, I’d take the trolley over to Notre Dame and play volleyball/frisbee. (Yes, for a hot minute, I played on a few intermural teams but I quickly got axed as I realized I was just too short for volleyball and wasn’t all that great at frisbee.)
Friday:
After work shift…
7 PM: Start getting ready/pregame with girls in the next dorm over. Head to other dorms on campus to chorale the other girls, get a little tipsy and start making our way over to Notre Dame.
10 PM: Hot girl walk to the edge of campus and wait for Notre Dame Grad School Campus trolley to take us over to the main campus. Be as obnoxious as possible taking a hundreds of pictures while grad students stare at us like “Thank God we’re not that age anymore”.
10:35 PM: Start at south quad dorm parties and make our way to north squad parties.
2 AM: Either brave the walk back down the graciously named “Rape Road” (the road that connects Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame) or wait for Blinkie (a large shuttle buss that drove Saint Mary’s students back to SMC campus) near the grotto and head back to campus and pass out.
Beach Days
Needed to escape the heat and found ourselves in Malibu, soaking up the sun and relaxing at the beach. We walked around the cute little seaside village, stopped to get fish and chips, checked out a local juice shop and bookstore and enjoyed an excellent afternoon of watching surfers catch some waves. How was your weekend?
We're Going Back to 2006
It’s 2006 in South Bend, Indiana, your dad and sister have spent the last two hours trying to assemble a fan from Target while you’re bringing up suitcase number three filled with your favorite pair of seven jeans, all your C&C tanks and newly ordered block healed boots because you’re going to college in a town that actually gets all four seasons. Welcome to Saint Mary’s College, a small and very old all girls catholic college that also sits across the street from Notre Dame.
This year’s nostalgia posts are dedicated to my first year in college, 2006. Facebook just allowed non-ivy college students to create accounts, Paris, Lindsay and Lauren Conrad were the IT girls and Grey’s Anatomy, The Hills and Psych were the most popular shows. It was also the early days of social media so you had to upload your college parties photos from an an actual camera to Facebook and make sure to post your hot girl Friday night walk over to ND. Also, Youtube was weird as hell!
So what were essentials in a 2006 dorm room? Let’s do a mini deep dive.
A mini fridge for late night snacks and drinks. (I did not have a mini fridge until my junior year of college)
A collage of fashion girlies that included: Edie Sedgewick, MK&A, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Audrey Hepburn, etc.
A tv with a DVD player because streaming was not a thing. And obviously DVD sets of your fav shows.
You absolutely needed a Felicity Porter approved backpack.
A camera because phones with cameras were not a thing yet.
Cute bedding was a must. Shabby Chic had just collaborated with Target on a new bedding line so you know my mom and I were there as soon as that dropped.
Vera Bradley was a staple at SMC. The bookstore was covered in book bags, duffle bags, purses, etc., you name it, they had it. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I now understand the chokehold this brand had on Midwest girls. The Black and Pink Ribbon purse was my first VB purchase. Also, you needed one of their many cute ID/card holders.