“If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting and set out on a truth-seeking journey, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself….then truth will not be withheld from you. Or so I’ve come to believe... and I can’t help but believe it, given my experience.” Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love
Although I began this blog back in December with good intentions of writing bi-weekly, I’ve found that it’s difficult to dedicate a good amount of uninterrupted time to writing when you are doing it for fun, and not when your grade depends on it. Nevertheless, I love to write and share my experiences with anyone who is interested (or bored) enough to read what I have to say. .. So, seeing that you are one of those bored or interested few- here we go!
Backing up a couple of months to February, I made my first visit to the Lone Star state. I wouldn’t necessarily say everything is bigger in Texas, but it sure is beautiful. Being able to put on jean shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of February was not only welcomed, but a much needed break from the snow and freezing temperatures in Illinois.
At night after my conference had ended for the day, I had a chance to shop in one of the largest malls in the nation, the Galleria in Houston. The impulsive shopper in me loved wandering through the stores and doing minor damage to my shiny new credit card, and my inner child loved the in-door ice skating rink that made Millenia Mall look quite unimpressive.
March brought about reunions with family and old friends (or should I say “sisters”). Audra made a trip back to her roots which gave the current Chicago Zetas an excuse for a nice dinner and night on the town. With Jessica Roy acting as our bar-scene tour guide, the four of us had an amazing night full of tall drinks, strong shots, and “remember when’s.” Being thousands of miles away from home, it felt great to be in the company of people who knew me before making the big move.
At the end of March I had the opportunity to experience a little Florida sunshine and visit the people who mean the most to me. Kyle and I took a weekend trip and went back to Orlando to celebrate the wedding of Craig and Erin Fortin. After picking up Kyle at the airport, we made an obligatory stop at UCF for el Corral (Number 1, please!) and then it was off to the weekend’s festivities. The wedding was beautiful and so was the bride. The dancing and drinks went well into the night, and Kyle got to experience first-hand how entertaining get- togethers with my mother’s side of the family can be.
This year was the first time I have not been with my family to celebrate Easter. Airline prices have gone up substantially, and with the high cost of travel it is difficult to come home unless you are prepared to eat Ramen noodles until your next paycheck. Luckily, my subscriptions to 10+ travel newsletters provided me with a cheap last-minute flight to DC. Although I missed the annual Easter egg hunt at my aunt’s, it was nice to spend the weekend with someone special.
So, you know the saying “April showers bring May flowers”? I would repeat this to myself every morning while walking through puddles to work, counting down the days that the showers would end and the sunshine would begin. As if to mock me, the rain continued through a majority of May and the beginning of June. The Windy City was now turning into the “rainy city” and my hope of a sunny spring was slowly dwindling.
A work trip to New York was the perfect break from the relentless showers pounding the mid-west. This was my second visit to the Big Apple and it was great seeing my best friends and experiencing the city in the spring.
Little did I know that the remainder of my trip would have an interesting turn of events… A conference protest, emergency plane landing, and overnight stay in Detroit later, I was finally back in Chicago and ready to move into my new apartment.
June was full of running errands and decorating our new place. I moved 5 blocks south of my first apartment and am now rooming with one of my best friends and co-worker, Sam. Our 2/1 came complete with exposed brick walls and all of the charm a Lincoln Park walk-up has to offer. Before we could officially call it home, the small task of moving in all of our belongings laid before us…
Even though I only moved half a mile away, I still needed a means of transportation for my belongings. For those who have had the pleasure of driving with me, you may agree that I’m not the savviest driver on the road. Considering I had not drove a car in months and that Chicago is full of narrow one-way roads, I am surprised that driving an oversized U-Haul through Lincoln Park didn’t end in disaster.
At the end of the day Sam and I were both moved in, and our empty apartment was starting to look a lot more like home. We wrapped up the month of June a week later with a trip to Cleveland to visit Diana’s hometown and visit some of Man Vs. Food’s favorite food joints. When Adam Richman tells you the best Gyro he has ever had was in a Cleveland food market, you wait in line for an hour to get it. No exceptions.
All in all, these past 4 months have been nothing short of amazing. The rest of June and beginning of July have already been great, and I am looking forward to an equally wonderful remainder of the summer in the city.
AG
