Last semester was my first one at IU and first time living over 600 miles away from home. Like many other freshmen, I had trouble adjusting. I no longer had my own room, I was showering next to hairballs and the people I had relied on for years were nowhere to be found in the vicinity of southern Indiana.
There were so many freshman firsts. First college classes, first time eating at the dining halls, first time squeezing into a 200 person lecture hall where everyone had a perpetual wet cough. College life felt lonely, unfamiliar and monotonous at times. Given Bloomington’s rich offerings, I resolved to take advantage of what the town has to offer and try new things when possible.
And then came Bloomington Bagel Company. I would see its little bubble-letter sign walking down 3rd Street to and from my morning calculus class. My first time there, I got “The Jake,” their weekly special at the time. It was a sophisticated combination of sweet and salty: a poppy seed bagel filled with brown sugar cream cheese, bacon, egg and cheese. This bagel was love at first bite. I quickly made a rule to keep myself — and my bank account — in check. I could only indulge in a bagel on Fridays.
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I loyally stuck to my rule. Each Friday morning on my way back from calculus, I was greeted with BBC’s wall of praise tweets and — more often than not — a morning rush of customers. But it was always worth the wait. And running through the rain and snow. And jaywalking across 3rd Street with the hood of my parka blocking my peripheral vision. If I had a late night out, if I had to pick a celebratory birthday breakfast, if I was dreading the upcoming final math exam, my answer was simple: BBC.
To those who want the ultimate BBC experience, I recommend sticking with the sweet and salty medley that the elusive Jake introduced me to. I go for either the brown sugar cream cheese or a cinnamon crunch bagel, depending on what’s available. And don’t underestimate the power of pairing cream cheese with the classic bacon, egg and cheese. You won’t go back.
I no longer go to BBC on Fridays, as I am rarely in the vicinity of any locations with my new class schedule. But the comfort I found in my first semester tradition will have me returning the next time I need a pick-me-up in the form of a double wrapped bagel sandwich.
I won’t sit here and make the claim that a perfectly toasted bagel with a satisfying medley of egg, bacon and cheddar cheese saved me from my first semester fright. But it sure did make the 20-minute trek to calculus on Fridays much easier.
