Furman Family Festivities

This weekend was family weekend at Furman. I was lucky enough to have my parents and all three of my sisters come to Greenville for the weekend. Family weekend was everything I could have hoped for and more! It was so nice to finally see my family again and it was so exciting to show my family around my new home and introduce them to some of my new friends. For my two younger sister, it was there first time to Greenville. My family arrived on Friday afternoon. We kicked the weekend off with lunch in the Dining Hall so they could experience what I experience everyday on campus. My younger sisters, Anneka and Aleksia, were quite impressed by the DH cookies. I gave my family a tour of campus before we headed to downtown Greenville for dinner and ice cream. We met a group of my friends and their families at Spill the Beans. Friends, family, and ice cream make a great combination! I loved introducing my family to the friends I have been getting to know over the past month.

Saturday was a day full of Furman family festivities. We started the day with brunch at the Vista House, a house off campus run by the Mere Christianity Forum. After heading back to campus, we visited the book store, the library, the Trone student center, and attended the football game. Despite the fact that it's October, it was very hot on Saturday. We only stayed through halftime due to the heat, but it was great to show my family some of our Furman school spirit!

Here we are at the Vista house in the morning.

My Dad, Mom, and three sisters, Katja, Anneka, and Aleksia

After a leisurely walk around Swan Lake, we headed back to downtown Greenville to visit some of the famous shops like Mast General Store and Southern Fried Cotton. It was fun to see so many other Furman families shopping downtown. We had dinner at Brick Street Cafe in the historic district of downtown. We finished the evening with some of their famous sweet potato cake.

On Sunday I took my family to the church I have been going to in downtown Greenville called Trinity Lutheran Church. There was a Lutheran Student Association reception afterwards where my family got to meet many of the other students involved in the campus ministry. We spent the rest of the day at Haywood Mall.

My family has played such a crucial role in shaping the person I am today and providing me with the opportunity to be at Furman University. Although it has been difficult to develop my new life away from them, it was so exciting to show them all of the aspects of my life at Furman.

"Having a place to go is a home.

Having someone to love is a family.

Having both is a blessing."

-Donna Hedges

I am so blessed to have a home, a family, and now a home away from home. Family weekend 2013 was a huge success. I really enjoyed greeting new families, seeing my own family, and showcasing my school, and that's what family weekend is all about! 

Please e-mail me with any questions! 

kjersti.kleine@furman.edu