Back to the Bend

Friday, August 07, 2015
South Bend, Indiana, United States
Up early again, and I went around the corner to a place called Buzzee or something. I was the only one inside, for a while, and I had a delicious crepe that tasted liked dough, and a red smoothie that was very cold but satisfying. I went off to finally get some Garrett's popcorn, but they weren't open until 10, so I killed some time looking a the amazing human aids they have in Walgreenes and wondering why we don't have them at home. Are they poisonous? Are we just less likely to injure ourselves? Are the Americans keeping all the good stuff for themselves? Who knows.

I got my popcorn - still haven't tasted it, because it's my train snack . I'm now just killing some time in the hostel before I check out, letting my phone charge.

I like Chicago. The food is good. The people don't really rush around. You're not getting bumped and battered in the city centre. It's surprisingly quiet. I write this as an emergency vehicle whizzes past outside, but it's only the second one I've heard in the city in three days. That's impressive. Things don't seem THAT dirty, even though I understand germs are invisible and all. The L train is noisy, but it's also pretty damn cool. I feel like I'm in Gotham City every time it passes over. Culture is important - the art museum has a free day, there's a Mozart orchestra in the park for free, Millenium park is actually beautiful.

And best of all, I've had two great night's sleep in an 8 bed dorm. That's amazing.

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I packed all my stuff and charged my electronics for a while after checking out.

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I've been having such a good time in South Bend, I literally only wrote one sentence in two days. The reason I'm saying "literally" so much is that I've started watching Parks and Recreation, which is a great show set in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. And there's a really upbeat guy in it who thinks everything is LITRALLY the best thing ever . So it's earwormed me more than I thought. I'm sorry.

So on Friday, I headed up towards Millenium Station, did a bit of quick shopping in Sephora because Grace is obsessed with it and her obsession rubs off on me and OH MY GOD they have all the lipsticks.

Then I hopped on the top deck of the double decker train to South Bend, which was very cool. I had a single seat, I had two racks within easy reach for all my bags, and I had my Garrett popcorn for lunch.

UNfortunately, there are some sort of railworks on the route, and we had to get off the train at some stop near the Indiana Dunes and get on a pile of buses to different destinations. It was actually nice to see the road for a while, which is wooded and pretty, not rusty and industrial like the railway. The bus brought us to another random train, and I happily legged it on, only to realise I'd forgotten my suitcase underneath the bus. FORtunately, there were so many people milling around that nothing had yet left and I was able to get my suitcase AND get a window seat on my own on the (single decker, awww) train.

The train went directly to South Bend (or "back to the baynd" as one guy onboard put it) where I was picked up in a car by my gorgeous friend from NUIM, Sonia, and her lovely boyfriend John, who lives in South Bend and is the reason we all ended up here . :D

I know Sonia since we did Media Studies together in Maynooth, and now she's a Doctor working here in Notre Dame University with the Offie of Digital Learning. John studied the actual Irish language, LITERALLY, at Harvard and is now almost completed a dissertation that involves things like more language and Yeats and stuff like that. They are SUCH COOL PEOPLE, YO.

So after a wonderful shower where I got rid of all of the Chicago grime, we went out for one of the most random, and yet delicious, meals I have ever had. There was smoked raw tuna, buffalo wrapped around onions and ALLIGATOR. Wow. I'm telling you, DELICIOUS. The gator was GREAT. Will eat again.

After this we picked up a DVD at an actual DVD rental shop, because they actually still exist here. LITERALLY. And they only rent DVDs, they're not selling headphones and tablets and mounds of popcorn and CDs. They are a busy DVD rental shop. WOW.

While Sonia set up Big Eyes (the film) I opened my boxes and parcels of early Christmas presents to me that I had sent to Sonia. I am literally SUCH a good person to myself? I know right? Have a great day.
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