This past weekend I visited my best friend at the University of Mississippi. She has gone there for a little over a year now, and I just now got the chance to visit her. With only an hour time difference, traveling there wasn’t too bad. Since I had only heard stories and seen pictures or videos, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect while visiting. Once I got there, it was 10x better than what I had expected.
1. The Southern Culture
Since I went to school in South Carolina for my first semester of college, I had already experienced a little bit of southern culture. Oddly enough, a majority of my friends were actually from the north, so I didn’t really experience as much of the southern culture as I had expected. Everyone I met at Ole Miss made me feel so welcome and important. I met so many generous and kind-hearted people while visiting. I now understand why my best friend loves all her friends from school. Another part of the culture that was way different than my school was how everyone dressed. I didn't see one girl wearing a cropped top, and I was envious of them for that. I have come to the conclusion that every girl at Ole Miss dresses like a model, so therefore every college student should dress like them.
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2. The Grove
The Grove is a big area where everyone tailgates before the football games. Never have I ever seen so many tents, beer and cowboy boots in my life. I have experienced tailgates at both colleges I’ve been to, and they are nothing compared to what I experienced this past weekend. A majority of the students at Ole Miss, as well as hundreds of families were all tailgating in the Grove before the football game. Even the band played school songs there in order to get everyone even more pumped up before the game.
3. The Square
The square is an area in downtown Oxford filled with restaurants, shops and bars. I was lucky enough to go to the Square at night and during the day, and I have to say this may have been my favorite part. We went to bars called Roosters and Funky’s, and both were so different than what I imagined the bars would be like. Roosters had a live band playing, and Funky’s had oldies music playing while I was there. I loved how different they were compared to bars in different areas of the country. I also got to eat at two restaurants called Bouré and South Depot. Bouré was a nice, sit-down restaurant, and South Depot served Mexican food. Both places were delicious.
4. The Football Game
Since I go to a school of about 11,000 students, I have an idea of what small Division 1 football games are like. I had no idea what to expect when it came to Ole Miss football games. The football stadium was humungous, and looked like an NFL stadium. Since it was a “red game,” almost the whole entire stadium was covered in red. There was a tiny blue section that stuck out like a sore thumb. I never expected the school spirit to be so intense, and I loved it. Every time something good happened during the game, the whole stadium would scream, “Go Rebs!” I also heard, “Hotty Toddy” and the school chant hundreds of times throughout the weekend.
5. My Best Friend
Although my best friend isn’t exactly a part of Ole Miss, she still goes there, so in a way, she is a part of it. I know how hard it is to be far away from home for several months at a time, but I don’t blame her for loving her school and continuing to overcome any homesickness she endures while at school. I absolutely loved Ole Miss while visiting, and I will definitely be making more visits back in the future. Even though I enjoyed my visit, my relationship with Ole Miss will always be a love/hate relationship because Ole Miss is lucky enough to have my best friend.
