Autumn Weekend Adventures

Hometowns intrigue me. Like Mary Poppins' magic suitcase, a hometown is a bottomless dot on the map from which hundreds of memories and meaningfulness can be pulled. I love the opportunity to jump into someone else's "dot" and explore, experiencing for the first time the articles of their life that can only be found there.

I spent this past weekend in the overflowing dot of Westfield, Indiana, hometown of one of my roommates, Joelle. The entire week leading up to our departure, we schemed and planned about the places we would go and the things we would do. An autumnal adventure was in the making!

Friday afternoon we hit the road with windows down and Starbucks in hand. The hour drive felt like five minutes as I sipped the first Java Chip frappuccino I'd had since high school and sang along to mix CDs.

The first adventure awaiting us was unexpected, but exciting nonetheless. We paid a visit to Westfield's main rice and fortune cookie supplier for take-out before driving down a hilly country road. Our destination was a beautiful grey house with an orange door, matching the leaves on the tree out front. The house belonged to a couple whose adorable blonde toddlers needed to be sat for a couple hours. We popped in Toy Story 3 for the kiddos before burning our mouths on hot Chinese food, too delicious to let cool completely. The dusky glow of the descending sun kissing the hardwood floors gave the old house comforting feeling, like it was wrapping you up in a blanket that smelled of fallen leaves and bonfire, welcoming you home.

After falling asleep Friday night watching "What Not to Expect When You're Expecting," Jo and I leapt from our slumber Saturday morning to get our day started off right.

The grande Pumpkin Spice Latte with two pumps of caramel I ordered on Starbucks run #2 of the weekend was perfection in liquid form. Coffee in hand, we took off for the Barn Sale, an event being thrown the mom of the kids we watched the night before. Watching the clear blue sky and red and orange leaves waving like streamers weaved through the treetops created a kaleidoscope of light and color as the car bobbed up and down the the hilly road. The day was perfect. Fall had officially made it's grand entrance in Westfield.

I could have left my heart at the Barn Sale. Table after table of shabby chic antiques and crafts lined the walls of the huge barn, spilling onto the lawn outside as well. Beautiful and unique collections of objects were proudly displayed, tempting me to pick up and admire everything I saw. I ended up leaving with a necklace, but only because I knew we were destined for each other the second I laid eyes on it.

Isn't it cute?

Lunch came from Big Hoffa's Barbeque, arguably some of the best BBQ I've ever had (and I've had some GOOD barbeque in my day). I knew I had to try a house specialty, so Jo and I each ordered the "Hoffinator." Can you guess what ingredients are included in this masterpiece and epic portion?

Give up? The Hoffinator is ranch and barbeque sauce on pulled pork on mac and cheese on baked beans on fries: six layers of comfort food heaven.

After lunch, Jo and I picked up our date for the afternoon, her next door neighbor/pastor's two year old son Titus and headed for the the pumpkin patch! 

We got to ride in some hay before engaging in the difficult pumpkin selection process. 

Once we had found three perfect pumpkins, it was time to butcher them! 

Jo and I gutted our pumpkins for the seeds, which we toasted later. So worth getting pumpkin guts under our nails and on our clothes. After the pumpkin execution, we whipped up a batch of pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese icing from scratch. Feel free to let your mouth water. 

Once the cupcakes had cooled and the icing set, I had the privilege of sampling Jo's dad's famous chili for dinner with her family. Every college student knows a homecooked meal eaten in an actual home (even if it's not your own) is something to be savored. After scarfing down two bowls, we took the second trip to Starbucks of the day and tossed back undertows (espresso on milk on vanilla flavoring) before I bleached Jo's hair and her dog and finished off the day with the "Bridesmaids."

Church on Sunday morning was refreshing. Jo's next door neighbor/pastor delivered an awesome sermon, and I saw many people I had met the over the weekend one last time. I was amazed at the community within the little church family. The love and willingness to serve each other was so obvious, and I decided I want this kind of selfless love to flow from my heart into my family in Christ as well. 

After exchanging our Sunday best for Sunday sweats, the remaining hours of the weekend were spent shopping, drinking Starbucks, and baking batch number two of pumpkin cupcakes. 

My two and a half days in Westfield were packed with excitement and newness. I absorbed the smells, the sights, and the tastes bursting from the bottomless map dot like a sponge, my senses scrambling to contain every experience. Though it wasn't my own hometown, the welcoming comfort offered by the perfect blend of country and suburb was a prime place to spend a few fall days. 

Total Starbucks trips: 4.