Visit to UConn

I mentioned last week that I would be returning to UConn this week. I haven’t been back to UConn since I graduated almost a year ago, and I was so excited to go back. Even though deep in my heart I had already known this, being back on campus reminded me that I had left a part of myself there and that it would be there forever and always. To spend four years in any place is a long time, and undergrad is certainly no exception. I grew up a lot in my time at UConn, and I evolved a lot as a person. This is something I’ll be forever grateful for as it’s helped me get to where I am today, and it’s led me to so many things along the way. Let’s not forget that if it weren’t for my time at UConn I wouldn’t have this blog (2 years next month!) or my much newer blog. This is just one small aspect of my time at UConn that I’m grateful for, an I’m sure with time I’ll talk about many other aspects of my undergraduate career that I’m grateful for.

But back to my time at UConn. I spent yesterday morning there, and I really don’t think the timing could have been better. The weather here in Connecticut is finally getting nice so it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The sun was shining, the grass was green, and unfortunately the trees weren’t in bloom yet. It’s been too cold for too long for that to happen just yet. I had plans with a couple of friends but before it was time for those plans I had some free time to wander around. I made sure I got a vanilla chai tea and was glad to see that it was just as delicious as I remembered it being. I tried to catch up with some of my professors but my timing was off and I hadn’t made particular plans so that unfortunately didn’t happen. It didn’t help that my visit was on a Monday morning, and I hadn’t made particular plans to see my professors. I’d wanted to go for the element of surprise and that didn’t exactly work in my favor.

I had lunch with a dear friend and then met up with another friend after that. The chicken parm grinders are just as good as I remembered as well. I’m glad to know that all my food memories and dreams can remain in tact right now. It was great to see my friends and have an opportunity to catch up. I’ve been so busy with grad school and all my responsibilities that I haven’t been the best at keeping in touch with people, so it was nice to have a chance to see friends.

The trip ended with shopping at the co-op but no purchases. Pickings for what we wanted were either slim or outside of my price range. Some things don’t change even after graduating from college. Of course it doesn’t help that I don’t have a lot of disposable income at this particular moment. All in all the trip was pretty fabulous, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to go up. I know that I likely won’t be on campus again for some time what with my schedule and everything else that’s going on. I also know that part of my heart will always belong to UConn.

BrittanyM

Some Exciting Things

Lately, life has been exciting. I just finished up a semester of grad school and have a nice break before my next round of classes starts up. Spring break is next week (at my internship), and I am SO excited to have a full week off with no responsibilities. I’ve been reading a lot and writing more. Things are going well at my internship. Overall life is pretty great right now. There are a couple of pretty major things that I want to focus in on though.

1. Spring Break. Did I mention that? A whole week where I don’t have to go to work or school? Instead I can do things on my To Do List, hang out with my mom, and see my friends? Yeah, that’s pretty awesome, and I can’t wait for it.
2. Trip to UConn. I haven’t been to UConn since I graduated in May – almost 1 year ago. Life has just been too crazy and busy to make the trip up. And while sometimes I miss it and sometimes I don’t, I can’t wait to be back. I miss my friends who are there. I miss the vanilla chai tea. I miss the classes and campus. I can’t wait to walk around and just enjoy being back. It’s going to be great, and I can’t wait to tell you some of the details.

To be totally honest, there were more things on the list when it was in my head. And then as I began to write the list I forgot some of them. That happens sometimes, especially if I don’t really think through what I’m going to write. But hey, that lets you see my thought process which has to be interesting sometimes, right?

That’s all for now. I promise to do my best to write more soon and to write more regularly. This blog is, has been, and always will be a work in progress.

BrittanyM

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

For some reason, I struggle with favorites. I don’t have as many as other people do. Some people find that weird. Some of my students find that weird. I’m working on developing some favorites before I have a classroom all my own. I thought that I would take some time to list a few things that I consider favorites.

• Vanilla Chai Tea
• Snow that sticks to the trees
• Brunch
• Adventures with my family
• Comfy clothes
• Gilmore Girls
• Dusk
• UConn Basketball
• Blogging

These are 9 of my favorite things. If we’re lucky (and if I remember) I’ll post some more favorite things lists in the future. Until then, enjoy the weekend. Hopefully you have no snow. And please share with me what some of your favorite things are.

BrittanyM

Vanilla Chai Tea

Here’s the thing. I don’t drink coffee. No one in my immediate family drinks coffee. I don’t like coffee. I am hyper enough on my own without the added caffeine. I actually am a morning person. And my coworkers have told me that they don’t want to be near me if I do decide to drink coffee.

But with long winters (and this winter was no exception) it’s important to have a hot beverage that I like. I’ve always liked hot chocolate. I’m also a chocolate addict. And I like that Dunkin Donuts does flavored hot chocolate because chocolate and mint is just a really good combination. So when all else fails I have a hot beverage to drink when the weather is cold. And for a long time that’s just how life was.

And then in college I was spending time with one of my friends and she asked me to hold what I thought was a coffee for her. And as I’m sitting in a cold classroom holding a nice warm travel cup I realize that it smells really good and really not like coffee. So when she gets back I ask her what it is. And she tells me it’s Christmas in a cup.

What is Christmas is a cup? Christmas is a holiday season, but the cup that I’m holding really does smell like Christmas. And that, my loyal readers, is when I learn that such a thing as Vanilla Chai Tea exists. And not only does it smell like Christmas it tastes like Christmas.

And I immediately became a little addicted.

And I’ve kind of been in love with Vanilla Chai Tea ever since.

UConn made fantastic Vanilla Chai Tea. Nothing I’ve found anywhere else can quite compare. Starbucks makes a good Vanilla Chai Tea. But the truth of the matter is, I’m still searching for the perfect replacement for what I discovered at UConn.

I’ve found my replacement for coffee, and I’ll keep searching for my perfect Christmas in a cup.

BrittanyM