Home(s) and Football Families

"Home" is such a confusing word now. Home is Huntsville, AL, where I grew up and where my parents live. Home is Auburn, AL, where I studied for four years, created unforgettable memories that give me that too-much-sugar feeling, and FINALLY found my voice and became more extroverted. Home is also Louisville, KY, where I now live as I work on my MA degree. That's three homes. And that doesn't even include Fort Morgan, where my family always goes on vacation, or London, where I studied abroad for six weeks and like to claim as my own. It's gotten to the point where I always have to clarify which "home" I'm referring to. For UofL's Fall Break, though, I got to go back to Auburn and Huntsville for a few short hours, and it was splendid. (Exhausting, yes, but still splendid.) This story, however, revolves mostly around Auburn.

The Samford Clock Tower welcomed me home.

It was exhausting because we were always running about, trying to get to the next thing, and because of the traffic. The traffic on the way from Louisville to Huntsville was a struggle and a half. At one point, I sat in traffic and made a hair appointment. At another, I tried to memorize Beyonce's "Partition." (The English Major in me loves when she says, "I sneezed on the beat, and the beat got sicker." She's so good with words, guys.)

It was splendid because I got to spend quality time with the fam (both my family-family and my Auburn family). Before this visit, I had been to Auburn a few times since graduating, but never while the majority of the school was in session. Guys, it was weird. I kept having to remind myself that I've graduated and that I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of invading alumni. These are the people who caused all of the traffic on Fridays and Saturdays. These are the people who took over my front yard (but they fed me, so that part was okay). I am one of them now, and it's pretty much the weirdest thing that's happened. While I'm part of the traffic, I am also the person who forces her friends to eat free food, which is great because I'm really good at that.

If you've never been to an SEC football game or tailgated before, you might find this whole thing odd. It's extravagant. There are TVs, tents, decorations, and long tables of food that rival Thanksgiving meals. When you dress for a football game, you dress up. For some of us, this means church clothes; for others, it means painting up or just wearing orange and blue. It's a bit much for a football game--I know--but I love how we've turned football into a family affair.

 Even my dad, our resident UA fan, joined the festivities. 

Friends are family too.

So, you have your tailgating family, but then you also have your college family. You intermingle, especially when you enter the stadium. This may surprise some of you, but I love crowds. Part of this is because of my time spent in Jordan-Hare Stadium. I love the energy, and I love that you are somehow connected to everyone in the stadium. Like it or not, they're part of the fam. When Auburn scores, you hug and/or high five your neighbors while throwing your shaker around. (Sometimes you really won't like it, though. For instance, once a drunk guy threw his iPhone on the ground in front of us and started stomping on it because he was upset about a crack in the screen. It's really broken now, buddy.)

Cheering our Auburn Tigers on to victory
 against LSU

If you don't think this is beautiful, you're probably an Alabama fan.

You might think tailgating would be over after the game, but no. Instead of parting ways, we made s'mores.



Just so you know I didn't spend my whole vacation tailgating, I'll have you know that I also visited Huntsville, my official home, where I spent some quality time with more family and friends as well as Little Rosie's. (I brought white queso to Louisville with me. Reminder: This is a no judgement zone.)

And now I'll just leave you with this cuteness:

I've missed this bundle of joy and
 her love to sleep by or on my laptop.

Thanks to Auburn, Huntsville, and the fam for welcoming me back home, and War Eagle!

Haley