Throughout the month of October, I have been very lucky to be able to travel twice to my college town of Raleigh, North Carolina. I have loved my time in Raleigh, despite my desires not to move back there any time soon, and am oh so grateful that I have been able to visit my friends that have become my Raleigh family yet again! Today, I plan to recap my time in Raleigh during both weekends!
Weekend 1 – Reunion Weekend!
For my first weekend to Raleigh, I traveled down to Raleigh for an Alumnae Reunion at my college – Meredith College. My friends and I who are all 2021 alumnae along with a good friend of ours who is a 2020 alumnae and I all planned to attend a reunion brunch with Meredith College alumnae of all ages and class years. We were really looking forward to going to this super fun and exciting reunion, but Mother Nature had other plans for us. Unfortunately, there were flash flood warnings all morning when the brunch was to happen, and since we were supposed to be outside in covered tents, the brunch was sadly cancelled. Each of us was super disappointed, especially since I traveled all of this way by plane for the weekend and not being able to attend what I came to Raleigh for. However, I do not like to be a pessimist so I made the best of it. Fortunately, my friends and I decided to go to Cracker Barrel for brunch, instead and were able to get a full refund in lieu of attending the brunch. Our Cracker Barrel outing, while not ideal, was still super fun. In the end, it’s all about being there with your friends and classmates and simply enjoying the time together. Essentially, I came to make memories with friends and I for sure conquered that objective!
Since I could not go to campus the day prior for the Meredith College Reunion Brunch, I knew that I could not leave Raleigh without stepping foot on my sweet sweet campus (read more about that experience here). My hostess with the mostess and best friend Alanna and I decided to go to campus ourselves. Meredith College had instilled a brand-new lake on campus just a few days before our visit. We most definitely *had* to check out the lake, which we were both in heaven over, too! After visiting Meredith’s campus, we decided to take a visit to our favorite nearby shopping district Village District. Village District is home to several local boutiques and chain favorites in the most intimate and customized shopping and dining experience possible. Personally, Village District has always been a favorite place to hang of mine, whether it be for shopping, eating out, or taking photos in front of its many recently instilled murals around the grounds. Both strolling along the grounds of Meredith College and Village District was indeed a sweet walk down memory lane.
Weekend 2 – Wedding and State Fair Weekend!
The first weekend that I came to Raleigh was the weekend of many North Carolina college’s Fall breaks. I have friends either still at Meredith College and or graduate school at the nearby North Carolina State University or both. So, my second October weekend in Raleigh gave me the chance to be able to see some of my friends that I didn’t see the first weekend. So, to kick off my second weekend in Raleigh, I got to see my good friends Hannah and Chandler for dinner at an Italian favorite spot of our’s – Amedeo’s. Later that night, I saw my good friends Julia, Bryn, and Hannah – yes, I have many friends named Hannah – hah! Then, the next day, I got to see my Lil Sis Lelia and my adorable Grand Lil (her Lil) Madelyne who I got to meet for the very first time as well as my friends Julia and Gabby for some much-needed manicures. Lastly, I saw my best friend Claire at our favorite coffee joint – Lucky Tree – and enjoyed some much needed time in-person. It was most definitely great to get to see so many folks that I hadn’t have seen since graduating!
One of the major reasons for me coming back to Raleigh was to make a visit to the North Carolina State Fair. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I am always sharing that “there’s nothing finer” whenever I refer to the North Carolina State Fair. I surely agree with that statement which remains this state fair’s tagline! Personally, my best friends Alanna, Bryn, and Hannah and I who all went to the North Carolina State Fair together and I were extremely overwhelmed with the extremely heavy crowds when we went. Despite the crowds, we still had a great time and enjoyed some lemonade, popcorn, and deep fried cookie dough. We, in fact, ended up going to the lake at the State Fairgrounds where it is held each year and hung out there and admired the sunset, since NO ONE was there. Though the North Carolina State Fair wasn’t what we had anticipated, we each still had an amazing time.
Lastly, my final leg of my Raleigh adventures was my time celebrating my good friend Laura Kate’s wedding. Laura Kate was one of my first friends at Meredith College and she stuck around over the years. She had such a beautiful, intimate wedding and I was honored to be able to be there with some of my good friends, such as Kaylee, Julia, and Lexie. At the same time, I also got to see some of my Meredith classmates that I haven’t seen in a few years, since we all graduated and moved onto bigger and better things. If you know me, then you know I am a MAJOR sucker for a beautiful wedding and just attending someone’s big day and Laura Kate’s wedding was NO exception!
Through it all, my two October weekends in Raleigh were nothing short of a blessing. It was so great to be able to attend some great events, whether it be a reunion, state fair, or a wedding, even though things may have not gone according to plan at times. At the same time, I LOVED being able to see friends both near and far again and pick up right where we left off. Blessings all around!
XOXO – Katie <3