Kentucky Trip: Visiting Angela

I didn't intend to neglect this blog for so long, but the last few weeks have been very different from what I expected, and I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. A few moments ago, inspiration struck, though, so I thought I'd try to start catching up on what I've missed!

Probably the most exciting thing last month was a visit to my good friend Angela in Lexington, KY. She moved there about a year ago and just bought a house this summer. She's been inviting me to go down and visit, and earlier this summer we decided to make sure it happened! So the weekend before my last week of summer school (when the students were very busy working, but I was all caught up on grading), I drove down to Lexington on Friday morning and headed back to BG on Sunday afternoon. The only thing that was a bummer about the trip was that what would normally be a 4.5 hour drive took over 5 going and nearly 6 returning home, due to the excessive construction and traffic.

Anyway, once I got there, I had a great time! Angela's home is beautiful, and I got to sleep in a proper guest room on the lovely, newly refinished bedroom set she got from her grandmother. (This in contrast to the top notch Aerobed she's slept on at my place, crammed into Mark's practice room :-). She'd already put in new floors, painted all the walls, and set up furniture in all the rooms. Really, her house looked more put together than our apartment (where we've now been for 3 years...).

Upon arriving rather late on Friday afternoon, Angela took me to one of her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants where we had very tasty tamales. I also splurged and got a pineapple Jarritos soda.

Later, we met up with some colleagues of hers for a happy hour gathering organized by someone who was leaving the area soon. It was nice to meet some folks Angela works with now, and we were right next door to the university, so Angela also took me for a quick tour of her building. Her office is on a high floor, so she's got great views looking out over the city!

That evening, we went to one of the city parks for an outdoor ballet performance. Everyone brought blankets and lawn chairs, and for just $10 each, we got to see some professional ballet! It was a pretty neat event, and the weather was decent, too.

On Saturday, we spent the morning on a scenic drive through horse pastures. It may not sound particularly special, but it really was impressive seeing the massive estates and pastures used for horse breeding and racing. And the horses, of course! Angela taught me that the fences have curves instead of corners because if a horse were running along the fence and came to a right angle, he'd jump it, but he'd just follow along a curve. Interesting, right?! My pictures don't do it justice, so if you are ever in the area, take some time to see it for yourself.

a tobacco field

we saw some deer here

On the way back into town...a partially finished castle...random, huh?

That afternoon, Angela took me to this lovely place called Shakespeare and Co. It's hard to describe, but it's like a cafe/tea room with over-the-top decor (in the most pleasant way). Apparently it's a whole chain, with most of their locations in the Middle East. She says the food isn't her favorite, though I enjoyed what we ate that day. She brings people just to see the atmosphere, which I definitely understand. Again, if you find yourself near one of their locations, check it out.

carrot juice & strawberry juice

On Sunday, we explored the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, visiting the nature center, then walking one of the trails. It was a lovely area, and one where there would be plenty to explore on another visit. We were glad we went in the morning, or it would have been very hot and sticky. We had a quick lunch at her place, then I got back on the road to head home.

Overall, it was such a nice trip! I realized I've never actually traveled somewhere on my own for the specific purpose of visiting a friend, so this was a first for me in that respect, as well as being my first time actually exploring a city in Kentucky (Mark and I have spent the night in Louisville, but just passing through). I hope I'll get a chance to go back and see Angela another time (ideally with a less annoying drive!), and it was fun that she ended up coming through BG on the two following weekends, so we saw a lot of each other in August. I think now I'm having withdrawals, especially since the new children's literature professor in the English department has moved into Angela's old office (which sat empty for a year). I find myself noticing the light on and thinking, "Angela's here!" before I remember that she's not...anyway, the good thing is that I know we'll keep in touch. :-)

Angela, if you're reading--thanks for your hospitality and friendship!