Hi all! Pulling this one back from drafts as well! Have a great week 🙂
It’s hard to believe we’re already at the third on campus intensive recap!
On February 5th we had our first day. We were given Panera for breakfast! I had a yummy egg white sandwich and some fruit on the side. It was so nice to see all my frans in person. (edited to add: that sentence hits home a little extra right now, haha).
In the evening I worked on some homework and then ordered this delicious mediterranean bowl with falafel, pumpkin hummus and tons of veggies from Happy and Hale. I do not know what it is about being in Durham, but I absolutely crave mediterranean food every time I’m there. I think it’s probably because it was my first ever meal there.
I also watched Bachelor while I enjoyed this bowl.
I read some Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine before going to sleep. “Intriguing” is the word I would use to describe this book- I am fascinated by the character of Eleanor and the author’s writing. I’m still only about halfway through, but I usually get in a few pages before falling asleep.
February 6th was day #2! It was an extremely rainy day, so I didn’t get as many pics or time walking around campus like I usually do.
After wrapping up the educational part of the day, a group of us gathered together and all went to the giftshop to get waterproof ponchos. Fash-un. After, we trekked through the rain to the Campus Pub to grab a beer and just catch-up on life in general before going to support the women’s basketball team in a home game. PS. My roots had no chill in this pic- But I love that we all took this pic together. (Edited to add- you could say I was ahead of the quarantine trends with this hair 😉 )
When we arrived they were giving out free wings and spirit towels!
Game time!!! It was an absolute blast.
After, we were all beyond hungry. We decided to go to Local 22, the cutest little restaurant in Durham! Durham is known as being a great food city, but I would have had no idea if I hadn’t gone there for school. This is my favorite restaurant I’ve tried there yet! There are soo many items on their menu I want to try, so I’ll have to return. Thinking for graduation this would be a great place to take the fam.
I could not resist their sweet potato fries- and I would say these are like chic-fil-a waffle fries, but sweet potato form. They were a crispy, french-fry dream.
I also ordered their beet salad with a mix of golden beets and goat cheese. Gosh, this was tasty. I have a really hard time resisting this salad when it’s on the menu. I also had a bite of the mushroom truffle pizza – I may need to get that myself next time I return because yummmmm.
After dinner I snuck in some marathon training. (Cue the womp womp)
Considering the late night training meant I woke up super hungry! I loaded up with a chocolate croissant, fruit, yogurt and oats.
This was the last day of our on campus and before everyone went their separate ways we met at It’s a Southern Thing!
I loved this little message on the receipt! I couldn’t help but take a pic. It’s the little things.
I didn’t have too much to eat at It’s a Southern Thing since I was still quite full from lunch when we went, but when I returned to the hotel I ran a bit, then was ready to chow. I ordered from my tried and true Mediterra. This time I tried their tabouleh wrap. I can practically taste it. Their pita is especially pillowy and I ate up that whole thing in no time flat.
Overall, it was a phenomenal on campus intensive. I learned quite a bit and was able to practice some challenging skills, which was very helpful. My favorite part was just seeing my peers and hanging out all together.
February 8th time to head home! I had some yogurt and Belvita with Starbucks, my go-to airport brekky.
It was a crazy travel day with changing flights and quite a bit of chaos, but finally I made it back. DJ and I hadn’t been able to spend much time together during that month, so we decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day a week early at the Roaring Fork downtown!
This is an Austin classic. Immediately I was blown away by the beautiful decor and the faux antler chandeliers.
But the real star of the show was the food. Get ready y’all. This was all just mind-blowingly good.
First up- complimentary jalapeno corn muffins. I had to stop myself from eating the whole basket to leave room from everything else.
We also had to try their lamb chop fondue. It is “the” item to try. It is made with a white wine fondue, chile-pecan Bread, and roasted butternut squash. I’m not big on meat, as you probably know, but I had to know what all the hype was about. And ho-ly-cow. OUTRAGEOUSLY TASTY. I want to compile a list of “must try” dishes in Austin, and this is going on it.
My main dish I was eager to try was their…. wait for it…. green chile mac and cheese. Not sure I can ever have regular mac and cheese again (lol, jk, but it was extra-good!). And they had the breadcrumbs!
Another side we tried was their Mexican street corn- this was awesome too!
DJ ordered their filet too. He said it was delicious, but not necessarily on the level of the lamb fondue.
We just loved this place! Can’t speak of it highly enough.
Question for you:
- What is something you are looking forward to this week? (Even if it’s the next episode in a show you’re watching or a Zoom call with a friend!)
<3
Hey hey something I am dreaming for this week (not looking forward to because I know its wishful thinking) is I want my old life back, to wind back the clock 4 weeks from today, you know, pre-lockdowns/ shutdowns whereby I still have a life, still going to work, and can still go out… do you have lockdowns/ shutdowns where you are?
xoxo
Natalie
http://nataliesdailylife.wordpress.com/
Hi, Natalie! Thanks for stopping in. Oh I hear ya. We have been in quarantine for weeks now too-I’ve lost count! This recap was from February, just getting it out now. I empathize whole- heartedly.
I love opening up WordPress to find a post by you!! What a stellar visit to campus, and all of your food looks phenomenal! I am right there with you craving Mediterranean. It is seriously the cuisine I could eat every day and not grow tired of it. I love your little added comments to address our current times, but I think your hair still looks good! But quarantine hair is a thing for sure. That early Valentine’s Day dinner was spectacular! I love lamb chops, so that dish as well as your mac ‘n cheese would definitely be ones I’d love to try. I’m looking forward to continuing to watch season two of Ozark (we finally started and love it!), and I’m hoping my hair stylist will be able to resume cutting hair this week. I hope you are well and are hanging in there! xo
Awww that means so much! 🥰 I agree with the Mediterranean food- If I go a couple days without hummus I haveee to hunt some down! And hehe glad you like the edits 😊 Oh my gosh, you would have loved the lamb chops- it’s one of those dishes I think DJ and I will remember for years! ahh we have to watch the next season of Ozark too! Glad you’re enjoying the first couple seasons- kinda fun you can immediately start the third! Yay for hair cuts- they always give me a bit of pep in my step. Thanks for reading, Kori! 💞
Hummus is life! The perfect dip or spread. I so bet I would! The chops looked phenomenal, and I love what they served them with as well. We’re steadily moving through the first two seasons! Haircuts really do give us a pep in our step, huh? <3
I so agree!!! They do! Are you still growing it out? You and your hair lady have done a gorgeous job so far! I know that can be tricky (my mom has done it several times) – but nice thing is longer or shorter hair looks beautiful on you no matter what!
I am! I appreciate that so very much. She’s the very best hair stylist. I’m rolling with it and am working on being very patient, but I’m so looking forward to a trim. It’s not like she can do much as we’re working on it growing, but to take out some of the weight would be fabulous. 🙂 Thank you so much for such a sweet compliment!! I’m very thankful to have been able to confidently wear it short and am excited to grow it out to experience something new. <3
Absolutely!! Excited for you! 🤗❤️
Thank you! ❤️
Love the photo of you and your friends! 🙂 The food looks delicious! I’m suddenly hungry! 🙂
Thank you soo much, Kathy 🙂 hope you found some yummy eats after reading this 😋
Everything here has me drooling. I can’t wait to get back out to places where somebody else is doing the cooking. 😉 And I love to try ALL the stuff. We finally started Ozark and are season 2 so I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen next. Each episode is always packed! It’s good to know that Durham is such a foodie place. It’s only a few hours from me and would make a good day date trip, ya know, when we get back to trip taking. 😉
I agree! Just having that option again will be amazing!! Ohhhh perfect timing for Ozark season 2! Ahhh I love that Durham is on your radar- I hope you enjoy your trip when you get to go ☺️
So glad to hear from you! Did school stop for you?
All this food looks so goooood!
Hi Nancy! Unfortunately, my clinicals were put on hold. They have alternative means for us to finish our hours though and I completed my final exam! Lots of hoops to navigate – hoping to make up the contact patient hours at some point. Thank you for stopping in ☺️
Oh Mackenzie I’m glad your Final Exam is over and I pray that your patient hours can be made up soon. I’m also sorry that this was all interrupted by this crazy virus!
I’m praying that you can get back to it all as soon as they decide it’s best for all students!
Thank you so much, Nancy!! ❤️
What a whirlwind trip – the experience, seeing your buds, all the great food … I think the Roaring Fork was my favorite of all the food places and pics and my mouth was watering at the jalapeno corn muffins and green chile mac-n-cheese. A tall glass of water and I’d be all set, though as I would be on my way to bed, I’d likely have a nightmare from the fiery fare!
Haha yessss!!! The corn muffins and Mac and cheese are something I’m gonna have to hunt down when all this is over! Thanks for reading!
Your campus looks beautiful even in the rain! Those sweet potato fries look AMAZING! There is a place near me that makes sweet potato fries in waffle fry form and I could eat them with every meal. Sooo good!
Something I’m looking forward to this week is running “with” my friend on Saturday! We were supposed to run a marathon together on Sunday but obviously that got cancelled so we decided to run our own little “race” on Saturday. We’ll talk the whole time, catching up on life and all that fun stuff!
Are you still running Boston on the new date? I thought of you the moment I saw the announcement! All these race cancellations are such a bummer, although I do understand why they had to. My race ended up just completely cancelling, no postponement. They were really sweet though and gave us some options like deferring to next year, running a virtual race (I was NOT running 26.2 miles on my own haha), or transferring to a half marathon in September. My friend and I opted to defer til next year. I really don’t like planning something over a year out but it was the best option for us!
There is something about the rain that made it look even more majestic, I agree 😍 isn’t there something about waffle fries of any kind that is just extra yummy?! 😋 you have some great foodie spots by ya I need to check out if I’m ever in the area!!
Oh my gosh, that is the sweetest idea!!!! I hope you have the most wonderful time.
I am planning on running in the fall! It is going to be one crazy time with school, but I’m gonna try to make it work 🤞🏻 the cancellations are a HUGE bummer- I am so sorry yours just cancelled 😥 but those are some nice options- glad they didn’t just cancel and leave it at that. When that race does come in a year, imagine what an amazing experience that willl be with all the other runners who waited so long for it! Thanks for your comment em! Have a nice weekend 💞
Love to see these older blogs and the fun people used to have on campus and restaurants. We can only dream at this point but some day hopefully soon we will all be back. Thanks for sharing and gave me, if only for a moment, a feeling of wonderful normalcy looking at these photos! Much needed these days. Love, Your Ohio Mom
Awww so glad you enjoy them 🥰 this makes me happy that they bring joy during this time!! I have quite a few on the back burner to write, so I’ll try to keep rolling them out 😁 love you!! 💞
Loved this post and seeing some fun foodie spots! We’ve been cooking at home recently so I am looking forward to picking up some dumplings for dinner tonight 🙂
Ohhh that sounds sooo good. I could really go for some dumplings right now 😋 enjoy!!
I just realized that I’ve never had breakfast at Panera, and it’s one of my favorite chains to get take-out from. Note to self, I need to try it once this pandemic craziness is over! What’s your go-to choice for dinner from there? I’m obsessed with their BBQ chicken salad, and I recreate it from home a lot.
The vibe of Local 22 looks absolutely perfect. I love the lighting and the woodwork, with the blackboard background!
Also, after reading about your eats, I am CRAVING mac’n cheese. I think it’s because we’re expecting a small snowstorm tomorrow (YES, in April). Ugh! I just want all the carbs topped with cheesy goodness. HA!
Hmmmm, something I’m looking forward to this week… Well, the weekend is here! Nate is back to working full-time at the office, which makes me nervous. So having him home tomorrow (especially with snow coming in) is giving me all the feels. I think it’s going to be a day of baking, games, cartoons, snowmen, hot chocolate, bubble baths, and hide-and-seek. I’m looking forward to the simplicity of it and just having us all home together. 🙂 These days, a day together where you’re all healthy is just SO much to be thankful for.
Okay if you go to Panera for breakfast you also HAVE to try their cinnamon crunch bagel. It’s soo good!! Ohhh I love Panera’s paninis and soup! And their bread bowls 😋 they have a good greek salad too !! I love that you recreate their BBQ chicken salad at home- did you find a recipe for it?!
Aw I hope Nate has some good days back! I get the nerves, but probably good to have some dip of the toe into normalcy again?! Okay your plan for the week sounds soooo fun!!! Enjoy that time with your family 🥰
Oh my avocado I am SO hungry now! I have friends who live in Durham (one of them is actually a nurse:) and keeping it real, the food was the exact reason why they moved there! I am always drooling at their pictures and stories! I know I say it all the time, but seriously I need to visit Austin! The Roaring Fork looks amazing! Your descriptions legit have me drooling! Also we NEED to discuss the Bachelor! Actually have you watched the Bachelor spin-off? I would love to know your thoughts! I hope you are hanging in there sweets! <3
Aww I love that you know about Durham AND know a nurse there AND know it’s a great food town ☺️ and yessss you dooo need to visit Austin!
Okay, so funny you ask! Im actually working night shifts right now in the hospital and am trying to stay on that schedule on my nights off- so tonight my motivation to stay awake is episode 2 of listen to your heart which comes out at 4 am 😂 Only about 15 more mins and I get to watch it! I was gripped by the first episode and liked it more than I expected!! What are your thoughts?! (Oh and last Bachelor season- it was set up to be so good, but it ended so confusingly- although it was dramatic. And unpopular opinion-but I really didn’t care for Madi by the end- curious your thoughts on that whole thing too- apparently Kelly is hanging with Peter now)
Aww your hair doesn’t look too terrible to me, the roots looked natural. 🙂 & I love that you guys picked up those blue ponchos lol. Your chocolate croissant looks so cute & tasty! I am craving one now! & my gosh, I am blown away by the photo you got of the Roaring Fork sign. ♡ I lovelovelove seeing different downtowns, especially at night!
The lamb chop fondue looks OUTRAGEOUS. What unique flavor combos they used, too. Ugh I WANT TO TRY!!! 😍
Aw thanks gf! I appreciate that lots 🙂 And I am just like you- I LOVE seeing the different nightlifes- something magical about feeling transported to another city through pics. Glad you liked that picture!
And girllll, the lamb chop fondue is an ALL TIME delicious appetizer. A must try if you are ever here! XOX