Whoever said there's nothing surprising in Indy?

When a girl in my small group, Allison, invited me to her wedding in Indianapolis, I was thrilled...not only to be celebrating her and Greg's fabulous marriage, but also because I had never been to Indy. Now, I know some of you are probably thinking "big deal" - and I realize that Indiana is not necc a must see, but you have to also know that I just have a fascination with new places, regardless of their notoriety. I like to think that most places have their sweet spot..something that I can enjoy. Plus, being from Oklahoma, I fully understand that sometimes the draw isn't the place at all...it's the people! And I'm just fine with that!

Thus, a few girlfriends and I set out on a Friday after work driving the 3 hours to Indy. I have to just stop here and say that I really really love road trips, esp with good company. We seriously talked the whole 3 hours and the fact that we all forgot our iPods didn't bother us in the least! One of the most noteworthy conversations led us to the realization that all of us in the car, an accountant, lawyer, PR specialist and Advertising executive, combined were the basic skills necessary for starting a company. We then proceeded to share our business ideas which were vast and incredibly inspiring. So, who knows...perhaps the fab 4 will venture out into the great unknown again together - in a figurative sense!

Wanting to fully embrace the suburbia we were experiencing, and it was the only decent option, we pulled into an IHOP for dinner. And sadly, this pancake palace used to be my gold standard for a hearty breakfast, however, it was pretty disappointing this time around and I now blame it on my refined taste buds that are spoiled by the many delectable brunch restaurants in Chicago.

We rolled into Indy around 11 and were staying with Katie's mom, who was the most incredible hostess! She was waiting eagerly for us and greeted us with love and food...2 keys to my heart, haha! She had the most amazing spread for us to nibble on and although we were bursting we couldn't resist her offer of 3 mini scoops of the most delicious ice creams with berries! So cute! I definitely want to get one of those mini scoops for future hosting! I would show a pic, but I ate it too fast ;-)

The next morning we were up and ready to work off the late night noshing with my Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred video. It was pretty hilarious to watch all 3 of us crammed in the living room doing jumping jacks, walking push-ups and crunches! After a good sweat, breakfast was served - the most amazing cheese and meat filled pastries, wow, the dough was sooo soft! If anyone remembers the name of them, please share below!!!

Then we were off for a stroll through Broad Ripple, a more hip/college, Lincoln Park esque part of Indy. And...I loved it! So cute, great little boutiques and restaurants to boot. We grabbed fro-yo and then hung out in the sun, yes, did i mention the weather was AMAZING? And watched some young musicians play for a fundraiser. It was perfect. Next, back to the house to get ready for the wedding!

The wedding was at this gorgeous Presbiterian church. It was a beautiful ceremony and all was well, until right before he pronounced them man and wife, one of the grooms men fainted! It took us a second to realize why the pastor awkwardly stalled before announcing the happy couple, haha. But a few moments later the guy was ok and they were able to proceed as planned, whew! I think this was the first time i'd actually seen someone faint at a wedding, but have been demanded to not "lock my knees" in the numerous past weddings i've been a part of!




The reception was at the Children's Museum of Indy. Such a fun idea. Many of the exhibits were open, which made for lots of fun and silly pics (which I always take full advantage of)! We ran into, Sadie, another friend from church who we didn't know would be there, which was fun. One of the most touching moments was Allison's dad's speech. He talked about how he had made Greg sign a contract when he asked for her hand detailing how he would treat Allison - PRECIOUS! Of course, you have to follow-up sappy with sass on the dance floor! We rocked it out for a bit before the lights were turned on and we were forced to leave.

One would think that this was the last of the excitement for the trip, however, there was one last surprise...After going home that night, my friend got sick with a horrible migraine in the middle of the night. She tried to sleep it off, but it just became more debilitating, so...at 4am she wakes me and we decide an ER visit is necessary. I roll out of bed, brush my teeth (i can't help it) and then found the nearest hospital on the Tom Tom GPS. Minutes later we were in the ER, and she was getting treated via IV and i was sitting in the dark room with her (while she slept) Tweeting and chatting on Facebook, of course,haha! Ya, i couldn't believe someone else was up either! 2 hours later we were being released and sent home to sleep it off. Nichole was feeling better when we finally woke up, and so we made our way safely back to Chi.

What a weekend...life is just full of surprises. Who knew Indy could be so exciting??? Not me! Will I go back? Sure - for the Indy 500 someday, maybe!