After spending 2 weeks in Chris’s hometown, I figured that 3 days in my stomping grounds were in order. The east cost of South Florida, spanning from Jupiter to Homestead, can be thought of as one big city divided into multiple cities with I-95 connecting them all. My parents currently live in the area of Lantana just south and east of West Palm Beach proper, but I grew up in the western community of Wellington – our first stop on this whirlwind, South Florida tour. In need of flu shots and hugs from old friends, we stopped by my dad’s office for a quick visit. On our way down from Orlando, my brother had called me to ask if I would help him throw a surprise birthday party for his best friend that night. So from the office, we headed to Costco for supplies for the party. While at Costco, I decided to treat my dad to a home cooked meal (my mom doesn’t cook). So with ingredients and munchies in hand we headed to my parent’s house to begin preparations for dinner and the party.
With the help of sous-chef Chris, we whipped a great dinner that was ready just as dad walked through the door. Success! After dinner, we quickly cleaned up and readied the house for an invasion of 20-something dudes. Joining the party was my friend Kristen Perez, who I’ve known since high school. We played catch-up as the boys enjoyed their nosh.
The next day we spent the day with my Mom, running around and meeting with friends. That evening we packed up and headed to Miami. To the west of where I-95 ends, sits “the roads,” an area of Miami that is home to my friend Joe Nesmith. We met many years ago while in drama class at Miami-Dade Community College and no trip to Miami is complete without seeing him. He had plans for the evening but we were able to hang out with him for a little while before he headed out. Enjoying the cooler weather (a whole 75°), we sat in the backyard and enjoyed some good conversation. Soon enough we were back in the car and headed to my sister’s house for the night.
Saturday was game day. The reasoning for coming to South Florida was to see the Canes (my undergrad school) and the Tigers (my grad school) battle at Landshark Stadium. Packing up the car with tailgating necessities and not letting the rainy weather deter us, we made the 45 min drive to the stadium. My sister has yet to experience a tailgate and since Miami’s tailgating scene is vastly different from Clemson’s, we were determined to show her how it was done. Luckily, the rain stopped and the sun came out 30 min after we arrived. Teaching Emily the art of Sangria Pong (a spin-off of Beer Pong) and Flip Cup filled our afternoon.
We headed into the stadium just as the 1st quarter battle began. My heart has never hurt so much. Not wanting to pick a favorite, I wore a non-descript Orange shirt and cheered for each team during their offensive plays. However, the lead switched at least 5 times and by the end I was emotionally drained. After a riveting game, the game went into overtime and the Tigers took the win with a touchdown catch by Jacoby Ford. 
As we drove to Orlando that night, I wasn’t sure whether to be excited or sad. Both teams played their hearts out and it couldn’t have been a better game, but one team did have to lose. Hopefully, both teams will win out the rest of their seasons and get great bowl bids! I love college football. Sleep was a sweet ending to an eventful day. Arising early the next morning, we began our trek northward and westward. Next stop: Alabama!
