Category Archives: Homecoming

Homecoming Listicle

Posted on by under Columbus, Homecoming

Written to the sound of “I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State.”

It is 7:00 in the morning, and I am leaving for Columbus in a few hours for a number of reasons. But the majority of this weekend’s visitors to my hometown will be going for one reason alone: Ohio State Homecoming. I am fairly certain that I do not need to explain the significance of Homecoming, as any student or alum of The Ohio State University will probably understand. However, as my agenda is already packed with events, it was suggested that I make a list of all the things I wanted to prioritize for this weekend…

  1. Visit all of my favorite Columbus pets, including, but not limited to, Rumi, the Shiba Inu; Darcy, the Bernese Mountain Dog, and her baby brother, Homer, the Blue Great Dane; and Ezra, the Holland Lop.
  2. Get coffee at Yeah, Me Too, Sally’s favorite coffee shop. This place is truly something… “Minimalist” would be an understatement. The building is unnoticeable and looks like it could easily have been closed down. There are only two options for coffee–hot or cold (cash only, of course). Its biggest draw is coming up with conversation topics to try to get the owner/barista to speak.
  3. Somehow stay away from Jeni’s, Insomnia, and Pistacia Vera. Leaving the last week of my no-sweets challenge for this weekend was fantastic planning on my part…
  4. Drop by Chateau DZ. I always love seeing how much my beloved sorority house has changed or not changed since I lived there.
  5. Walk into Bullwinkles. I already despise the idea of this newer campus club, but someone sincerely believes I must check it out. This is probably one of those places I have to be dragged to, but four drinks later, never want to leave.
  6. Eat at Hot Chicken Takeover. I don’t even like fried chicken that much, but the ridiculous number of times I’ve seen this food truck/North Market establishment on my Instagram feed has convinced me that I finally need to try it.
  7. Go to Ethyl & Tank. I wish this campus bar had existed when I was still in school because I absolutely love it.
  8. Stay awake for all of Saturday. A noon game means waking up much earlier, before spending the entire day, hopefully into the night, drinking. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.
  9. Glam Fam photo shoot. Always a priority.
  10. Avoid Fireball at all costs.

It is now 7:45 in the morning, and *ichigan still sucks.

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My precious Little and G-Little at Homecoming last year.

How Firm Thy Friendship

Posted on by under 101 in 1001, Columbus, Homecoming, Marathon

This past weekend, I finally got to visit Ohio for Homecoming and the Columbus Marathon! The sad thing about graduating and growing older is that most friends eventually move away, and it gets increasingly difficult for everyone to visit at the same time. But I still had a full schedule of catching up with dear friends, which was just what I needed. I only wish I’d taken more pictures!

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It was so great seeing old friends, some of whom I’d been friends with since the fourth grade and others I hadn’t seen in two years!

IMG_1317I decided not to attend the Homecoming game against Iowa (the Buckeyes’ 19th game undefeated!) to save myself from having to stand for long periods of time before the marathon. Instead, I watched with friends at campus bars.IMG_1438I also ate at as many of my favorite Columbus-area restaurants as humanly possible. To decide on where to go, I might’ve referred to a comprehensive list I made while still in Georgia of all the foods I missed…
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The winners included Max & Erma’s, Tim Horton’s, Knead, Northstar, Jeni’s, Jimmy John’s, La Chatelaine, Tai’s, Cap City, and Cane’s. I know all of my Columbus friends are drooling right now.IMG_6869

While staying at my friends’ house, I met this precious kitty, Scarlett. We formed an unexpected bond, confirmed on the night when she slept in the crook of my elbow.

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I did get a chance to stop at Whole Foods, where I tried a Tofutti Cutie and crossed off #73 on my 101 in 1001! The store didn’t have vanilla, so I had to resort to chocolate, which is probably my least favorite ice cream flavor. Still, I thought it generally tasted like a regular ice cream sandwich, and my friends agreed.
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My sorority house had been completely renovated and redecorated since last year, so it was especially exciting to visit. I also got to see our house mom and chef, two of the nicest people ever!IMG_9125

The Columbus Marathon had a fantastic expo set up at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. And even though my running friends and I couldn’t drink during Homecoming weekend, we did the next best thing–carboload!IMG_0555

And then, ready or not, race day was upon us! Here are some of us Delta Zetas (including Sally and Mel) freezing at 6:30 in the morning, waiting in our start corral! Honestly, even though I’d registered for this marathon (my first) months ago, I’d been stressed out and barely trained at all. Most marathoners probably log 300 training miles before a race, and I’d logged about 40. So I wasn’t sure I’d even make it past the half-marathon mark…IMG_2596

But I did it! I don’t know if it was good genes, the support of my fellow runners, or God just giving me a break, but I finished all 26.2 miles! It was so ridiculous, I could hardly believe it myself. Around mile 20, my hip joints were dying, but other than that, the distance wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Seriously, though, one of my biggest motivations to keep going was knowing that if I didn’t finish, I’d have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN in order to cross off #90 on my 101 in 1001. That thought really pushed me to continue, even when I felt like my hips were on the verge of breaking. Anyway, now that I know I can do it, I might try another in the future, though I’d probably go ahead and train for that one…