it's a miracle i made it

Let me just paint you all a little picture. Just six hours ago, two Long Island ladies -- one disguised in red Raybans and the other shamelessly clad in skinny jeans worn over shamrock pajama shorts (I'm telling you, it was a SHOW!) -- sprinted out of South Bend with unzipped suitcases bound for Boston by way of Chicago. Oversleeping after a night filled with as many Long Island Iced Tea pitchers as epic tales of dance floor insanity, the twosome gunned down Route 80 Volvo-style and somehow made it to O'Hare International in just over an hour and a half. Note that the normal time to reach O'Hare is a healthy two hours -- and that involves some slight speeding. At points, I thought the station wagon would start soaring as we tipped the speedometer to extremely illegal levels. Alas, the aforementioned gal in the shamrock boxers busted through airport crowds, and in what seemed like no time, saluted the captain in the cockpit just as the plane cabin door closed behind her.

Clearly, this girl is me, and clearly, this would happen to me. It makes for a fabulous story though, don't you think?

My South Bend weekend was absolutely incredible. Beyond the famous sites of the campus that was once Brady Quinn's (swoon...!) kingdom, I was turned on to a few new things to make my list of favorites:

1. Firefly Vodka. It's only made in the South, and according to Meg's Georgia Peach friend, it's a real miracle that it made it to the Indiana town that would be nothing but strip malls if not for the University and football. This sweet tea-flavored bottle of heaven better find a home on some liquor store shelves in Massachusetts, and subsequently, in my fridge. I highly recommend it.

2. "Untouched" by The Veronicas. It's the peppiest song to primp to and the most recent addition to my iTunes library.

3. South Bend locals. Just kidding! They are all kinds of fabulous, though! =)

Aside from these three favorites, I saw the famous "Touchdown Jesus," the Golden Dome, the Basilica, and beyond. The campus is stunning and it was an absolutely fabulous weekend get-away. =)