This morning came early as our alarm went off at 4am. Bo and I had 45 minutes to shower, pack, and get dressed before heading out the door for the airport. As you may recall, we are spending the weekend in South Bend, Indiana to be with family as we celebrate the life of my grandmother and uncle both of whom recently passed away. It is a bittersweet weekend walk down memory lane as I was supposed to be in Meg’s wedding this weekend. But, at the end of the day, family comes first and that is what this weekend is all about. Spending the day with my family meant so much to both Bo and me as the day progressed.

Luckily, our travels were smooth. This was the first connecting flight I’ve taken in ages. There are very few direct flights to South Bend from NYC so our options were far and few between when we booked the flight two weeks ago. During our quick 20 minute layover in Detroit Bo and I were able to snag breakfast. We were craving something healthy yet substantial as we knew we wanted to squeeze in a quick run when we arrived in South Bend. I was apprehensive when I saw that Einstein’s Brothers Bagels was our only choice. However, I was pleased to see their advertisement for the new bagel thins.  I enjoyed a Bagel Thin sandwich complete with egg whites, spinach, and tomatoes. It needed some salt and ketchup but was otherwise a delicious carb and protein mix.

As we were boarding our plane it started to pour! I was worried that our flight would be delayed but luckily these ugly clouds didn’t keep us from reaching South Bend!

After arriving, I made good on my promise to Bo and took him on a tour of Notre Dame campus via a 4 mile run. It was a tough run for me as it was my first outdoor run in the last couple of weeks. But, I finished it and will do it again tomorrow. Hopefully after a few days back on the pavement I’ll feel more confident about my upcoming half marathon. Regardless, campus was absolutely gorgeous and Bo felt the beauty and magic that I felt on this campus growing up.

After our run we met up with my family and aunt for a walk down memory lane. It included some of my aunt and dad’s favorite old places in South Bend.

The State Theatre downtown which was showing Casablanca today only!

My close friends and family know that during football season my heart is split between two teams, UGA and Notre Dame. I was a Notre Dame cheerleader for FIVE Halloweens in a row and grew up singing the fight song every Saturday as my dad and his entire family grew up in South Bend and their lives revolved around Notre Dame.   Random gorilla sighting? It turns out the owner of a local chocolate store thinks South Bend needs more outdoor art and this gorilla is the first of many sculptures. Interesting article here. My dad and his family grew up with this bakery. Every single birthday cake, Saturday treat, etc came from the hallowed walls of this buttercreamed filled bakery. Dad and Rusty indulged on a few delicious petite fours this afternoon. I must admit, this was the best petite four I’ve ever had.     As you can see from my aunt and father above, this weekend is all about family and being with loved ones. I am so blessed that Bo and I are able to share this. It is truly helping him understand more and more about my roots. The walk down memory lane continues later this evening with dinner at Roco’s, South Bend’s oldest pizzeria and the place they grew up with. In fact, this friendly face served them a fresh slice every Friday night for over 20 years! Delicious pizza here I come! Hopefully this will be the perfect treat before a long run tomorrow morning.