We try to go to one away game a year, and this year we picked Notre Dame! Once again, Kris informed me he wouldn't be able to go due to the corn...but once again, it all worked out and we finished the corn just hours before we left.
At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, we picked up Andrew and drove to Notre Dame. The first hour, it was absolutely pouring, but then it tapered off. We had booked a pretty sketchy hotel using Expedia, but it was also somehow connected to VRBO. We went there first to check in and make sure it wasn't a scam. The sign on it said Studio 6 Extended Stay, and it was in Mishawaka. Please file away this information in your mind to never, ever stay there.
Andrew and Kris went in, and the clerk assured them that we did indeed have rooms. She set aside physical keys for us, Andrew, and the Rozens' rooms. She said we couldn't get them then, but we could pick them up later. We said we'd be back after the game, and she said there would be a phone number posted that we could call and she would come and give us the keys at the desk.
I found a place to eat called the Evil Czech, which delighted me because I knew Lisa's daughter had been the Czech-Slovak Queen. We all met up there - Gage, Elizabeth, Liza, Brad, Andrew, Kris, me - and Lisa informed us SHE ALSO had been the Czech-Slovak Queen!
This place was amazing, and unlike other places I've been. It was a giant all you can eat buffet, but this is what was different - everything was on a little plate. There was no serving out of a bigger container - you would just walk and take a plate. There were no trays, so you could only take two or three plates at a time. It. Was. Fantastic. I loved it so much. I had an omelet, fruit, broccoli mac and cheese, beef on mashed potatoes ... and everything was about two bites. Five stars. Basically the opposite of our hotel.
We parked near campus and met our friends who were tailgating. We then walked all around campus - my first time there. We went into the cathedral and they were just starting a service! We saw the Notre Dame team there, and we stayed for the first hymn. The pipe organ, the lyrics, the music! It was incredibly moving and I was so, so glad we went.
We got all our raingear on to get prepared for the game. The forecast was that it would rain all day, and we really lucked out in that it hadn't rained at all. Then - it didn't rain for the game either! It was such great weather.
At the game, I was surprised they only had one screen, which I had to turn around and look at because it was behind my head. They made up for it with great music, so there were a lot of dance breaks. Kris and I got pizza at one point, which he thought was good and I thought tasted just like the cardboard it came in. It was an exciting game, the people around us were nice Spartan fans, and we walked back to our car. I was so happy Kris knew where it was, because I didn't check when we parked. We also didn't lock it. Great news, no one stole anything!
Comparing to the last away game I went to - the Nebraska fans were SO nice and talked to us and thanked us for coming. The Notre Dame fans looked through us - they were not nice or mean, they just didn't notice or see us at all. I guess if we would have won or been a threat to winning it may have been different.
Then - in a surprise to no one, we went to our hotel. It was midnight. There were people milling around the front door, and we saw a handwritten sign taped to it.
"We are fully booked for the night. All reservation must be cancelled and refunded. We have no rooms available. - Studio 6."
The other people trying to stay there at the hotel voiced their frustration with us, but I was like - let's get out of here, time's awasting. We have a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us!
If it had been a complete surprise, it would have been a real bummer, but this had always been an option in the back of my mind.
So! I drove Kris, Andrew, and me home. We played games and had a good time. Great travel partners. They didn't even fall asleep! In bed by 3:00 a.m. A great, 21-hour day! Thanks Notre Dame!
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