Octravelfest: Columbia

(The roommates back together again. Picture stolen from V.)

Octravelfest continued this past weekend. Some of my friends were headed back to Columbia for our alma-mater, University of Missouri's homecoming. I was going to decline the invitation to head that way so I could actually have a weekend at home, but then I heard my good friend and roommate from college Megan was getting engaged... and I knew I couldn't miss it.

The weekend was another good one. I got to spend time with my friend Katie: we ate some ridiculously cheap Chinese buffet and saw the movie 50/50 (so good... see it, asap.) Then I met up with my dearest friends Valeria and Jonathan for some walking around downtown and quality chat time on the patio of McAlister's sipping on sweet tea (or in my case... Diet Coke.) We got all dressed up, met up with a few more friends and then went to Megan's surprise engagement party which was the perfect way to end the evening.

Sunday was a lot more low-key. I had the morning to kill so I stopped by Kaldi's, the coffee shop I worked at in college, then walked around the quad. Then I drove out to see Big Tree, the tree outside of Columbia that sits all by itself in the middle of a big field. Later, I finished off the weekend with a delicious lunch with my good friend Colleen.

It was just a great weekend. I don't want to be that person that looks back on college and is like "Those were the days..." But those really were the days. What a special time in life... And what a great weekend catching up with all of the people from that time in life. I miss them dearly.

(Iced coffee and pumpkin bread from Kaldi's.)

(The beautiful Jessie Hall and the columns...)

(My beloved Big Tree...)