If you have ever had a conversation with me, then you probably know that I transferred to Michigan State University. I didn’t stop at one transfer however, it actually took two transfers for me to arrive at MSU. While I learned different, but equally valuable, lessons at each school, Ole Miss and DePaul University, Ole Miss will always have a special place in my heart. For that reason, and because a few of my close friends are graduating this semester, I decided to take a long weekend to visit.
So, last Thursday I got on a plane to Memphis, Tennessee and started my long weekend. A short Uber ride later and I was sitting on a bench at the Square in Oxford, Mississippi. The weather was mildly warm and not as sticky as I remembered. It looked the same as in my memories, small and like a Hallmark movie. Moreover, it felt peaceful to be back, like visiting a childhood home.
After I had lunch with a friend and settled in, I went back out to the Square for a solo exploration. It felt good to have alone time to process how I felt being back and to see what the area looked like outside of being an eighteen-year-old freshman. Turns out, I enjoyed it more knowing I didn’t have to walk back to my dorm room. The boutique shops were cute, filled with trendy dresses and to my surprise, birkenstock sandals. Bars had outdoor seating available, and vendors were getting ready to set up for Double Decker weekend. The sight of multiple white tents covering art pieces could be seen, while the smell of Southern pulled pork wafted through the streets. Sitting at one end of the Square was a stage, ready for Brett Young to play on Friday night.
Speaking of Friday, that was one of my favorite days. That afternoon I had met up with some friends and then in the early evening we headed to the Ole Miss versus Mississippi State baseball game. I had never been to a baseball game, and therefore did not know that I had committed myself to multiple hours of watching a tiny ball be thrown and hit. Therefore, it only made sense that my friend and I had enough around the fourth inning and headed to the concert. From there we went back to her apartment and ordered a late night pizza, talked into early Saturday morning, and planned to go back to the Square in the afternoon.
Saturday was a beautiful day, warm weather, seeing people out and about, and the sweet sound of Indie music in the background was incredible. We browsed through many tents, ate lunch on the courthouse lawn, and discovered it was national Record Store Day. So obviously we had to go to the local record store, The End of All Music. In order to enter you walk up an outdoor set of stairs in a small alley, and from there you have two options. Head to the left or head to the right, each room containing baskets of records. We looked around for a bit, and then headed out. However, before we left we had noticed that they were selling national Record Store Day posters with an old vinyl player on the front, covered in purple flowers with a sky blue backdrop. I was highly intrigued, but decided to pass because I had already bought myself something on the trip. But two hours later, with the poster still on my mind, we decided that it was too unique to pass up. The owner was nice enough to give us the posters for free, and mine is currently dewrinkling from the plane ride home.
After securing the poster, we grabbed a corndog and walked back to the apartment for a break from the heat. We spent the evening out on the Square and then came home early to relax after a long weekend. It was great to catch up with old friends and make new memories in a place that once felt a little like home.
While it was a little bittersweet to be back, I am glad that I was able to see my friends before they graduate and move. I hope to continue to make memories over my lifetime in Oxford, Mississippi, whether it be at a football game or to visit the Square. The lesson I learned from this trip is that if you have a special place that you once called home, like Oxford, MS in my case, you should take a leap of faith and make new memories in that place. It’s never too late to reach out or book a flight if your heart is telling you to. So Hotty Toddy, I’ll be back for you Oxford.