Growth.

Fall has always been my favorite time of the year. The chill in the air, the colors, the warmth of my favorite blanket and a cup of cocoa, pumpkin patches, football games and of course Homecoming.... This past weekend my undergraduate alma mater celebrated their Homecoming. Despite us losing the game, the entire city was filled with energy to cheer on the University and welcome back alumni. This was my second year in a row returning to Baton Rouge to celebrate the occasion. The last time I did a two in a row stint, I was ridiculously underwhelmed. Fortunately history did not repeat itself this go round.

My best friend and I set out on a road trip from Houston to Baton Rouge Friday afternoon and despite battling traffic in Beaumont, Lake Charles and Lafayette, managed to make it into town before the sun went down. We were starving by the time we crossed the bridge over the Mississippi River and headed straight to Chimes East to devour some food before the nights festivities began. A friend who has been working in Louisiana for a few weeks came to join us for dinner. As we were waiting outside the restaurant my former best friend from undergrad was walking out. At first she acted as if she didn't want to greet my friend and I, but maybe being back in my old stomping grounds reignited the bitch fire in me and I forced her to speak. After that seemingly awkward moment, we all agreed that Homecoming was off to an interesting start and would definitely be eventful.

Apparently the entire city had the idea to eat at Chimes East Friday night, because it was like one big reunion with me greeting someone every few minutes. We ate like kings, and laughed for a few hours, then parted ways with out friend and headed straight to Albertson's to buy liquor supplies for the night.

At this point in time, I would go into detail about the evenings festivities, but I will keep it simple. We went out, we still had it, and we left.... and the struggle was real to wake up the next morning.

I had every intention of making it to the parade the next morning. But after having not went to sleep until 4am, I didn't wake up the next morning until dang near 11 am. Then I took a nap while my friend got dressed. After sitting in traffic for over an hour, we finally arrived on campus and parked (which was an adventure all in itself) by 3:30 pm...

The walk onto the campus of Southern University always initially leaves me on the verge of tears. Just to be in that place, with all the memories flooding over me. It always takes me back to those bittersweet moments in time. For four and a half years, I lived in Baton Rouge. The beginnings of my adult life were spent on that campus. My first real life experiences, mistakes, heartbreaks, adventures, triumphs and upsets all happened on that campus. To me, that campus means so much more than the degree that is still in its cover at my parents house, and the t-shirts I proudly display on weekends where I don't feel like getting dressed. That campus represents growth, and my progression into the woman I am today.

I took thousands of steps across this bridge over the course of those years at Southern. Some of the moments have faded away to the farthest corners of my memory while others are easily accessible at the forefronts of my mind.

Every turn as we walked from in front of the union, down the strip held some remnant of the past. We took in all the changes, observed the actions of the current students and compared to our times on the yard. We ate, tailgated, walked and laughed some more as we just took it all in. Before we even arrived in the city I had told my friend that I wanted to take some pictures near the river before we left. Can't even front, just walking near that part of campus literally almost brought me to tears. Maybe I was just emotional this weekend, I don't know, but this year was just different. I valued the moments a little more, and it just felt different being there. I think it was in that moment that I completely was able to acknowledge how momentous my time in college was.

The growth.

I really became a new version of myself in undergrad. I was able to grow, and experiment. Take chances and risks, and really flourish. Now in all fairness, a lot of those risks were not the smartest, safest or wisest, but the lessons I learned have transcended the years. Despite all of that, I can genuinely say that I'm not the same person I became while there. College was a catalyst for change. Had it not been for Southern University, I would not be who I am today. I had to be there to become who I am now.

This year, Homecoming was more than just parties & celebration..... it was about realization, reminiscing and moving forward. It was about growth. I grew up at Southern, and now I am grown.

And of course, no recap of Homecoming is complete without a few outfit posts and food pictures. I ate so much over the weekend, that I have probably experienced growth in more ways than one. But, I digress.

Onward and upward, until next time Southern U!