November Road Trip

This part of the year has been filled with deadlines, presentations, and lesson plans. It has certainly been an eventful time of year, and I cannot believe how quickly the semester has flown by. As an elementary education major in my methods classes, my classmates and I have been constantly writing, teaching, and reflecting upon lesson plans. It has truly consumed my time, but I have loved what I am doing! It makes me ecstatic to know that I will soon be in the classroom.

For now, I am focusing on trying to "be present" and enjoy every moment. Life is speeding by quickly, but I am so happy to be enjoying the ride!

This past weekend was one of those wonderful weekends that came at an absolutely perfect time for a break. My friends and I decided at the beginning of this year that we would take a quick-y road trip to watch a good friend play football at the University of Wisconsin. What started out as plans to just see the football game, cascaded into an adventure to meet up with other friends that are scattered throughout the Midwest. 

On Friday, we stopped at the Mall of America and saw the Christmas decorations that adorned the Mall. 

My absolute favorite holiday and time of year begins on November 1. I blast the Christmas music, and continue the countdown (that I began on August 1) until the Christmas holiday. So you can guess my reaction when I saw the Christmas trees that were not one, not two, but three stories tall. (This picture was taken from the second floor)

That evening, we saw some friends that we had worked with this summer. This weekend was a great reminder that no matter how far away we are in the US, we still have those friendships that span the distance. I loved the fact that our conversations pretty much picked up where we had left them in August. Pretty cool. 

Our weekend continued with watching the football game. Despite the torrential downpour, it was great just to be with friends, watch a good football game, and laugh. 

Of course we stopped for coffee at a local coffee shop, one of my favorite things to do in a new place. I love that you can learn so much about a place by the shops that adorn the streets. (Link to Acoustic)

The weather was pretty frigid, so the tortellini soup really warmed me up, as well as the pumpkin-pie-chai (in the tall glass). There is no other word for it, but decadent. Pure decadence. 

It was such a wonderful weekend, and I was so very happy we took our little road trip it. Road trips have become more and more frequent this year, and I love that my friends are so willing to go adventuring. There are always good experiences to be found when on the road for hours on end. 

And guess what? Only 8 more days until Thanksgiving. 

I am getting excited for all of the festivities and for spending time with family. I can practically smell the turkey now... :-)

Have a wonderful evening!!