Tarleton State University

Home of the Dr. Pepper Factory, the "Purple Poo," and Tarleton State University; Stephenville, Texas is a quaint little town rich in tradition and hospitality. Since I was going to be visiting Texas for the third time this semester, I figured I would know it all... tarantellas, bar-b-que, and country music. Little did I know that because the great state of Texas is so huge, I would be greeted in what seemed to be a completely different world.

To be honest, I really never enjoyed Dr. Pepper... until now!! Dublin, Texas has its very own Dr. Pepper Factory. I got to tour the museum and try the original Dr. Pepper formula that uses imperial sugar. It was actually really great because it was completely different than the Dr. Pepper you and I both grow up on. From Dr. Pepper Floats to Dr. Pepper Cakes I tried it all. I even spent the next 3 weeks with a pound of Dr. Pepper Cake Mix in my purse just to bring home to make for my best friend since kindergarten, Caitlin, who has been obsessed with Dr. Pepper since we were kids. Hopefully it tastes as good as it does in Dublin.

You may be asking yourself: "What in the heck is the 'Purple Poo?'" Honestly, the "Purple Poo" is a time honored tradition at Tarleton University that is bestowed upon only the most elite students and consists of secretly dressing up in masks and doing silly, crazy things around campus. They wear their masks all the time and are never revealed until graduation. These men and women are hand selected by previous "Poo Members" and this is the highest honor one can receive at Tarleton. I personally was intrigued by these masked students. Not only do the look and act completely ridiculous, but they are supported by students and administrators alike. I obviously had to take a picture with these honorable people. But I still left confused: Why hasn't any of the students pulled off the "Purple Poo's" masks? I know I thought about it a couple times.

Three trips to Texas down.... and zero to go. I'm sad I won't be getting to visit Texas again in the Spring but I've made a lot of great friends and memories in this state. So bye Texas and thanks for a great time!!

New Mexico State University

I was greeted in New Mexico by breathtaking mountains and a beautiful dessert. The 45 minute drive from the airport to Las Cruces, NM was overwhelming. There was so much to see. I10 which runs all the way from California to Florida was where I found myself when I got to see the Mexico Boarder for the first time. I was a little stunned and got this strange pit in my stomach upon seeing the border and the image behind it. Shacks, run down homes, and dirt streets to my left, and skyscrapers to my right. It was crazy how a 20 foot guarded fence could create such a different scene. The view of Juarez, Mexico the most dangerous city in the world was many things. I felt sad, happy, scared, selfish, and insignificant all at the same time. It did make me proud to be an American, but it was so sad to see the poverty just inches from the land of the free. It was one sight I soon won't forget.

Similar to the drive, New Mexico was mesmerizing. The culture and food were two of my most favorite things about this trip. My stomach may beg to differ. The one thing you must eat if you ever find yourself in New Mexico is green chili. It is the signature ingredient in all dishes including pasta, burritos, and even ice cream. YES, ice cream. Not my favorite topping but I do commend them for being creative. As long as I never have to eat green chili in ice cream again, I'd go back to New Mexico. Next time, hopefully I see some aliens!!

Texas A&M

What an eventful trip! I had a great time visiting a big south western school with great traditions and pride of their own. From Midnight Yell to game day dresses, the students in College Station, Texas know how to get ready for a football game.

After talking football with some Texans, we switched to politics. Usually I try to stay away from hot topics like that but when George Bush Sr., his wife, and Laura Bush show up to town obviously people are going to talk about it. Yes, although I was in the same town as a former president, I did not get to meet him or even get close enough to take a picture. Right before his arrival some students decided to have a protest again the legalization of carrying guns on campus by having fake AK-47 on campus. After the school went on lock down for about 5 hours, let's just say that the president wasn't too thrilled about making a public appearance. Either way, neat story to say I was in the same city as George Bush Sr.

All in all my second trip to Texas was just as exciting and eventful as my first. Texas A&M has a huge campus and over 50,000 students. It was very neat just to look around and take in the size of the campus; very different from majority of the schools I've visited. College Station was a neat place but it would take more than just 6 days to explore and see everything there is to see!

Auburn University!!

The Loveliest Village on the Plains. This is the best school in the country and I am proud that it is my Alma Mater.

I got to watch a big Auburn win over long time rival LSU. After this win, Auburn was ranked #1 in the BCS for the first time in school history. What an exciting time for the tigers.

Also after the game I walked down to Toomer's Corner to witness the best school tradition of all time. Even though it was warmer than ever, the trees and ground were covered in white from toilet paper. Both old and young alike enjoy this tradition and have the best time rolling the big tree at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street.



WAR EAGLE!!!

Barton College

Scariest school yet: Barton College. Wilson, North Carolina is one of the most haunted areas in the country and not to mention in full preparation for Halloween. Here are some spooky events that happened during my visit:

1. Haunted hay ride through a corn field. This is where I came face to face with some of my worst fears like Jason, Pin Head, and that scary guy from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.


2. Legit haunted dorms. One of the rooms that I stayed near had a girl live there that would lock her door every night but a news paper would appear on her bedroom floor every morning... remind you the door was still locked. Yikes.


3. Random opening doors. I would walk into a room, talk with a few people and walk out and all the doors in the hall would be wide open. FACT this happened multiple times. (After the excitement it turns out it was someone tricking us all along, but still scary and made a few people cry.)

Besides the fact that I was pretty much fearful for my life because of ghosts... I had a fantastic time in Wilson. I got to attend multiple Barton College sporting events including volleyball, soccer, and softball. The weather was cool and fall was in full force majority of the time with leaves falling everywhere. I loved getting up in the morning to go for a run and drinking coffee on the balcony when I got back. Paranormal activity or not... Wilson, North Carolina is a fantastic place!

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Going to the beach in the middle of October... Yes please!! The University of North Carolina Wilmington is a beautiful beach side school located just off of Carolina Beach in North Carolina. This huge campus has everything from palm to pine trees giving the school a unique beachy feel with a dash of the North Carolina wilderness.

While visiting Wilmington I got to visit a lot of local hot spots. One of my favorites was Dockside Bar and Grill. This restaurant was right on the water overlooking the bay and had a dock where boats could just drive up, anchor, and come in for something to eat. I enjoyed a great meal while watching the sunset.

I also got to lay out at beautiful Carolina Beach. One day it was 88 degrees with no clouds so I took full advantage of the opportunity to work on my now non-existent tan. It was absolutely beautiful although much different than the white sand beaches I'm used to in Florida.

Finally, I got to visit Audriana's, a local restaurant that had the best lobster and crab cakes I had ever eaten. It was located right off the board walk in downtown Wilmington right near the huge battleship docked in the marina. While eating, Bibis and Black, a local band entertained the crowd during their final show in Wilmington. It was a lovely end to a wonderful trip to a beach town school.

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne University in quaint Hickory, North Carolina is a small school about this size of my high school. With only about 1,800 students, LR does not have too much going on but still put on a great party for homecoming!

The homecoming festivities began with a huge homecoming parade. Each organization on campus participates and competes to win the best float competition. I am pleased to say that the Delta Zeta's took home 1st place for the 4th year in a row with their "Jimi Hendrix" themed float.

The party continues with a huge barbecue in the parking lot outside of the stadium. With everything from sandwiches to banana pudding, the Lenoir-Rhyne alum come out in full force to support the Bears.

The night ends with a huge firework display at the stadium. I was very impressed with the turn out of fans and had a great time socializing with people from all over, including a family from Huntsville! Even though the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears didn't win that day, the Auburn Tigers did later that night against Kentucky. Thank goodness and War Eagle.