A WEEKEND IN CHICAGO

You know when you have one of those amazing weekends that goes by entirely, entirely too fast? This past weekend was one of those for me. I took a half day on Friday to drive (yes, drive) up to Chicago for a little reunion with some friends from college. I thankfully picked my good friend Sara Michael up in Louisville, which made the drive a million times more bearable!

We got in around 8:00 Friday evening and headed to Lan's Old Town. If you live in Chicago or are visiting with friends, I highly recommend. It's not the greatest Chinese food ever, but karaoke starts at 10, it's BYOB, and the owner Jimmy will inevitably pass out before the night is over. I may or may not have done a {fabulous} rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart. After that, we headed to Pour House, followed by a great dance session at Beaumont's.

On Saturday, we did a little Michigan Ave. shopping (can Nashville PLEASE get a Bloomingdales?!) and then headed to Joe's to meet up with friends for the IU game. Indiana lost (ughhh) but it was so great to be with so many friends. I laughed so hard on Saturday I think my abs might have gotten a better work out than last week at the gym. Sunday unfortunately brought driving all day long, but we did get to make a little stop in Indianapolis to see a good friend for lunch. The drive wasn't easy, but so, so worth it. Weekends like these remind me how lucky I am to have such great, lifelong friends, and how important it is to make time to see them. 

HOMAGE... TO YOUR SCHOOL

 

 

It's kind of strange, but I never had a ton of Indiana apparel while I was at college, and probably even less now. It's pretty sad considering I'm super proud of my alma mater. I just don't want a t-shirt or plain sweatshirt that everyone else has. Luckily, I found a new brand, Homage, that has exactly what I'm looking for. Last night one of my sorority sisters Instagrammed a photo of 2 Indiana sweatshirts she just got in the mail and immediately I wanted to know where they were from. I loved the way they looked - super old school and like they've been well worn - a type of sweatshirt you just can't find at your local college bookstore. Luckily, Homage can take care of that. Homage is a Columbus-based company (hence why there is sooo much Ohio State gear) that pays tribute to "eclectic moments and personalities in sports, music, politics and popular culture" through their custom clothing and accessories.

Even better news? Right now it's buy one, get one 50% off. I highly suggest finding a friend in need, heading over to Homage.com, and placing your order... just in time for March Madness. If you are in need of some Big League Chew or #1 foam fingers, they've got you covered on that as well.

summer hiatus

As all of my wonderful followers may have noticed, I took a bit of a summer hiatus from blogging. This wasn't intentional at first, in fact, I fully intended to continue blogging through the summer. However, with work and a busy schedule, I fell out of the blogging routine. Now with summer coming to a close, I've decided it's time to begin posting again! Many, many posts to come. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this.

one year ago.

A year ago, I was getting ready to start my senior year. Plans of boats, day parties, tailgating, and long hours at Kilroys filled my mind. One year later, those thoughts are a little different. I can't help but feel a little  lot of resentment towards those who are returning to B-Town in the next week, anxious and excited for a new school year to begin. I want to be making those same plans I was a year ago. I want something to look forward to. But then again, as my mom and my friends continually remind me, I have plenty to be excited about. I am moving to a new city, I have will get a job, make new friends, and have all kinds of new experiences. And if all fails, well, Bloomington is only a short plane ride away.

Viva la KAT

Inspired by Natalie's blog...

Dear new KAO initiates,

Congratulations! Today is the day you have officially become members of Theta, and I am so very excited for you all. Needless to say, however, being a senior I am also incredibly jealous of you. You have 3 1/2 years to make the best memories thus far in life, have some of the best laughs, craziest nights, and meaningful friendships you could ever ask for. Don't forget what you learned at initiation. Inevitably, you will forget some of it, but when it rolls around each year, don't see it as a drag, but take it as a chance to remember why you love Theta so much. I have, so here's a little food for thought.

Live in the house 2, if not 3 years. Forget that you have homework and spend lots and lots of time hanging out in each others' rooms, lounges, and dining room. It's completely acceptable to sit at lunch for over an hour because you want to keep talking. Don't skip date parties. You might not be taking the hunk of the party, but the memories you make with your sisters and laughing about everything the next morning is much more important than who your date is. Go on a real spring break. Frat Lauderdale won't disappoint you as long as the majority of IU is there. Don't worry if you are 3 months away from the end of school and have a frighteningly low amount of cash in your bank account. You'll make that money back one day, and it's only money. In five years, you'll remember (or maybe hazily remember) the afternoon you spent on the Kilroys back patio more than how much you spent on Long Islands that day. Take trips with your friends in your pledge class. Whether this is to a lake house over the summer, or just for the day, a weekend trip to Mardi Gras in St. Louis, or just a weekend spent at a sister's house, each one of these moments will become special to you. Go to Little 500 and scream your heart out for Theta. Drunk or sober, it's the coolest event ever. Get involved, whether it's with Theta or another organization. You'll grow more as a person and become passionate about something you might not have thought of before. Take advantage of everything Bloomington has to offer - restaurants, IU athletics, shows at the auditorium. Going out is great, but it's not everything. Be proud of Theta. You've joined an amazing organization with even more amazing girls that will be there for you constantly.

I wish I could be in your shoes, but I also know that I've had my time and it's (almost) over. I can't wait for you all to experience the great things I have these past 3 1/2 years that have made me love Theta and IU more than I could have ever imagined. You all will do great things, and try to remember the crazy seniors when we come back next year.

Love,
Rachel