This year, to celebrate my birthday, I visited my sister at school down in South Carolina. She attends Clemson University, and because it is her senior year, I wanted to visit her while she was still in school. I wanted the full Clemson experience and made sure I got to see everything. From getting a tour of the campus to shopping downtown, and even going to a football game, visiting Clemson really was the perfect way to spend the long weekend.
To start my trip off right, my sister gave me the grand tour of the university. The campus is really beautiful and surprisingly reminded me of the UNH campus a little bit. My sister said one of the main reasons she decided to go to Clemson was because she fell in love with the campus. One of the best parts of the campus, in my opinion, had to be the Reflection Pond. The university has this big pond right outside of the library, where students can sit around it and study. When I think of schools in the South, I definitely picture them having at least one fountain or pond like that. However, one of the main focal points of the campus definitely had to be the football stadium. Memorial Stadium at Clemson University seats more people than Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. It’s massive and all decked out in orange. The football program there is amazing and is also another reason my sister decided to attend Clemson.
On my actual birthday, my sister and I went to the game against Florida State. Going to the football game was by far the best part of the trip (besides seeing my sister). Gameday down South is intense, but I loved the experience. College football is a whole other world down there. Everyone goes all out. The students, faculty, parents, grandparents, alumni… everyone. It’s a total family affair. There are tailgates at every corner, in every parking lot, and all around campus. I don’t think I have seen that many people wearing orange all in one place before. I love how everyone has so much school spirit and isn’t afraid to show off their tiger pride. For the game, we had front row seats along the Clemson sidelines. We were right in the action, not missing a moment. The university goes all out for gameday. The coaches and players run down the “Hill” onto the field, while all the fans in the stands go crazy. The score at the end of the game was 45-10, with another win for Clemson. As soon as the game ends, everyone jumps over the wall that surrounds the field as they sing their Alma Mater. My sister and I got close enough to see all the players. We were only a few feet away from their star quarterback, Trevor Lawerence, who is supposedly “the next Tom Brady.” The game was such an unreal experience, and I am happy that I finally got the opportunity to go to a Clemson game.
On the last day of my trip, my sister and I went shopping downtown. Throughout the trip, she took me to some of her favorite places to eat, showing me what a typical day in the life of a Clemson student was like. The downtown at Clemson was one of my favorite parts of my trip. Walking along the streets and peeking into all the adorable stores was a nice way to relax after the craziness of game day. All of the stores had the cutest apparel and gameday gear. When I say Clemson is a college town, I mean it. Everything was based off of the school and covered in orange and purple. Everywhere you looked, there was Clemson spirit.
Visiting my sister was one of the best birthday presents I could have asked for. I am beyond grateful that my family was able to give me such an amazing opportunity. To say the least, it was a wicked incredible weekend!