Sunday, July 14, 2013

MN Part Two: Mini Golf and Good Friends

The next stop on my tour of Minnesota was technically in North Dakota. I stayed with my brother John in Fargo and spent a couple of afternoons hanging out with a few other college friends.

Katie, one of my very best friends from college had come back to the states from Australia for a brief visit. Of course, I had to arrange my trip home to co-inside with hers! I've blogged about Katie several times over the years, but let me just proclaim it publicly again, that I love this girl! She has been "by-my-side" since we met through a Campus Crusade trip to Panama City Beach in 2004. We've never really lived in the same city (or state) since I graduated, but we've kept in touch on a very regular basis. I'm just so blessed and thankful for her friendship.

Sarah, my college roommate during my second year at MSUM also joined us making it somewhat of a mini-reunion. Sarah and I met in the college cafeteria one day and joked about being roommates the following year during that very first conversation -- seriously, God, thank you for that "chance encounter!" Who would have thought that it would have worked out - but I'm so thankful it did. We had so much fun that year together.

The three of us along with Katie's Australian roommate, Lisa roamed the Fargo/Moorhead Area for two days, making stops at Hobby Lobby (going there with other crafty friends was more fun that I would have imagined), Thunder Road for a round of mini-golf, and Cold Stone Creamery. It was a gorgeous summer day, but I was not used to the heat and humidity at all.


We also drove over to our friend Skip's house to visit him and his family.  Skip made a brief visit to SF a few years ago, shortly after we moved to the city.  I think we had a whole 20 minutes to catch up then. I hadn't seen his wife since their wedding and now they are expecting their 4th child! Life goes too fast!  It was great to sit around and catch up and enjoy the energy of his children.


With the six of us hanging out in the living room, I was reminded of the times we'd gather in the commons area at college or in one of our apartments. We had a pretty stellar group of friends and did almost everything together.  They were the best part of my college experience and I love that I could see these special friends again.

I also was able to see Melissa, a friend I made while working at the US Bank call center after I graduated. I didn't work there long, but Melissa and I have tried to keep in touch as much as we can. I was very thankful to have lunch with her and hear about her life since then.


I had been a little concerned that my time in Fargo/Moorhead would be really busy, but that wasn't the case. Everyone was pretty laid back and I even had an entire morning to stroll downtown by myself.

In the years I had lived there,  I had never taken the public transportation. But now, I didn't have a vehicle -- so, feeling a little adventurous and not up to long walks in the heat, I took the bus. It was a little surreal. The bus driver was super friendly and helpful, the bus wasn't crowded at all, and once I found the bus station it was really easy. The only part that had me worried was that if I missed the bus, I'd have to wait an entire hour for the next one! Leave it to me to stress out about taking a bus in Fargo when I take the bus in SF everyday! 

Also in my down time, I discovered a quilt shop! I spent nearly an hour there picking out fabrics for my upcoming projects. I found four cute patterns that were all 50% off! Score!

And in case you wanted to see a pregnant lady mini-golfing, I've leave you with this:

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