If you don’t know what the 574 is, then first I want to know why you're even reading this. It’s OK, feel free to continue, but to answer your question the 574 is the area code for South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart, Goshen, Plymouth, Warsaw, etc.

If you’ve moved away from the 574, whether it be for a job, school, or just because your thoughts about your hometown for awhile were probably something like, “Man, it is so great to get away from there.” I’ll admit that that was a common theme of my thoughts. And today, you probably still think the same thing, but you get cravings for certain things about your home that you cannot find anywhere else. We all get them. It’s what keeps us excited on our road trip back home on different weekends and breaks.

1. Hacienda

You had to know I was going to start with this one, right? If you don’t set up some sort of date to head to Haci with your friends and family when you go home, then you must not really be from the 574. It’s not even their food that is really great, it’s the chips and salsa. Something about it makes it like crack for us, and you have to let yourself overindulge, because it’s just unavoidable. The majority of us also have to order a bowl of ranch to mix with our salsa. I was a late bloomer on this trend- I don’t like ranch -- but the mixture really is delicious. The salsa ranch mix is normal to us, and if my boyfriend and I decide to go out for Mexican anywhere else, he gets some weird looks when he asks for a side of ranch. Don’t judge us, it’s a Haci thing.

2. University of Notre Dame

Chances are if someone asks you where you’re from, you just tell them “by Notre Dame.” I rep it proudly, others may groan (sorry, Michigan fans), but either way no one can deny it’s one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. You can’t help but stare in awe at the Golden Dome and all the other wonderful structures that surround Notre Dame. From warm summer days to snowy winter nights, the campus always looks amazing; but the most magical time in the area is definitely football season. The whole city is busy with football fans and there is no tailgate like an ND tailgate. God, Country & Notre Dame for life, baby.

3. Martin's Supermarket

Yeah sure, Kroger and Marsh are cool and everything, but heading to my local Martin’s is something I really miss. First, if you didn’t work there, you were friends with at least half of the employees, so you were constantly greeted with friendly faces. You could pick up a Starbucks (where the barista was also probably one of your friends so the drinks were always great) and then carry on picking up your grocery items. The salad bar is the bomb, the deli is even more bomb, and they are located in all the right places. I love you, Martin’s.

4. The Lake Life

A perk I had when living in northern Indiana was that I only lived about ten minutes away from the Michigan state line, which also meant that I was even closer to the only good thing that comes from Michigan: the lakes. Several trips to New Buffalo or to St. Joe to Silver Beach were guaranteed every summer, and if you didn’t want to drive that far you could just head to a smaller lake like Eagle, Diamond or Shavehead. And if you lived in Elkhart and still didn’t want to head that far, you could always drive over to Simonton Lake, where one of your friends was out on a boat or whipping around a jet ski. I had never realized how much I missed being close to all the water until this summer, when I found that Indy was NOT as well equipped when it came to anything water-related. Speaking of Simonton, that brings me to my next item on the list…

5. The Rootbeer Stand

Also known as Simonton Lake Drive In (aka an Elkhart summer staple). I’m not really a burger and fries girl, and I don’t drink soda, but I forget all those things about me as soon as I pull up to the Rootbeer Stand. I can remember the times we would go as a family and my sisters and I would always get the little baby root beer mugs, and then I remember when I first got my license and I couldn’t wait until I could drive myself there when they opened for the season. Everything there is delicious, and it’s something everyone young and old looks forward to when summer rolls around.

6. Pizza

Yes, food seems to be a common theme here, but food is also a necessity, is a gathering place for friends and family, and just makes people happy. Pizza, of course, is the ruler of all things “food happy” related, and lucky for us in the 574, there are plenty of great local pizza places to make that happiness flow.

You’ve got Bruno’s, Boomerelli’s, Volcano’s, Davinci’s and Barnaby’s just to name a few. It’s hard to pick a favorite for me because they’ve all got something unique and tasty. If you ask someone in the area what their favorite pizza is, and they say Papa John’s or Pizza Hut, don’t be friends with them (that’s actually really harsh to say and not true, but seriously they are weird.)

7. The Amish

And when I say Amish, I really mean their food for the most part. You know you’re from the 574 when you know what Amish crack is. Amish crack is really doughnuts from Rise ‘N Roll bakery. I’m not even a fan of doughnuts, but you really cannot resist these soft, powdered gifts from God himself. There is also the Essenhaus, which serves delicious ham, turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, veggies, and some of the best pie you could ever eat. Driving around Middlebury and Shipshewana may smell like poo sometimes (literally), but it is so nice to get out onto the country roads and see nothing but fields and beautiful farms.

8. The Ones You Love

Last on the list, but certainly the most important, the best thing about heading back to the 574 is everywhere there you’ve left behind. From family to friends who stayed or friends who have gone off to school somewhere else, the best thing is pulling into your driveway, run into the house and hug your loved ones. They are the ones that motivated you to leave in the first place and although it may be hard for them to see you leave again, they support you always. It’s always great to be reunited over a few baskets of Haci chips.