When I was a senior in high school, I never thought that I might end up in a small town in Bloomington, Indiana for my undergraduate education. I also never thought that coming here would introduce me to more things than corn fields and farms, but that there is much more to the Midwest that I had never seen, known about, or heard of, before starting my freshman year at IU. More importantly, the Midwest has introduced me to foods I would have never discovered before going to school here, and I can't express how happy I am that my friends have made me love junk food more than I could have ever imagined. Here are just 5 of the things I've discovered that have indefinitely changed my life for the better:
1. "Puppy Chow"
When I first heard of puppy chow, I was exiting the Gresh dining hall in Northwest when a friend from Chicago asked me if I had ever tried it. Having no idea what it was, I gave her an odd look, thinking, "who the hell would call something puppy chow?" Well, while it's name is definitely still odd, it's one of the greatest sweet snacks I'll ever get to eat. The packaged kind is okay, but I have had a few freshly made puppy chow snacks from friends and holiday gifts, and it's very addicting.
2. "Buffalo Chicken Dip"
After a tailgate one Saturday during my sophomore year, I came home to a massive bin of this orange cheese-looking dish that confused me. After being talked into trying it with a chip because it's "literally the best thing ever," I never looked back. I probably consumed 1,000 calories worth of buffalo chicken dip that day and I was damn proud of it, and I look forward to going to family tailgates during the fall and stuffing my face with all their BFD.
3. "Chik Fil A"
I had seen a Chik Fil A in my life before, but had never thought of ever trying it. It wasn't until I came to college that I ever heard anyone talk about it, but my life has never been the same since I discovered the chicken sandwich. Chik Fil A sauces seems like something I should have known about my whole life, and I honestly don't know how I previously lived without it. I have also discovered their chicken tortilla soup which you should definitely try if you haven't already.
4. "Noodles"
Coming to college and trying Noodles for the first time was an eye-opening experience. I had the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese as an obvious rookie choice, but as I have expanded my horizons and tried to many different things on the menu, Noodles has become a once-a-week trip since I first tried it my freshman year of college.
5. "McAlister's"
McAlester's stayed under my radar for a while, but once I tried their lemonade and teas, especially knowing that they had free refills, I continued to come back for some pickles and yummy food options. McAlister's keeps it real, and it also introduced me to "grits," which I had never heard about before college either.
These are just a few things that college introduced me to, and I can't say that I will ever look back. Going home to California is hard, because I crave a bunch of the foods I don't have access to while I'm gone, but it's always a great feeling to be reunited with my favorite meals when I can get back to my favorite small town in Bloomington, Indiana.
