Walking Home From Work

On Tuesday, there was a huge fire off the L tracks just past the Fullerton stop, so the Red, Purple & Brown lines were all screwed up. This also made the buses a mess and empty cabs nearly impossible to find. One of my goals for the summer was to walk home from work, and thanks to the interesting transportation situation, it seemed like the perfect time to make the journey.

Thanks to a quick Google Maps search, I knew the 4.7 mile adventure would take at least an hour and a half, so I took the time to call my friends Whitney and Kati whom I hadn't talked to in forever. I also decided I should document all of the neighborhoods I passed through from River North to Wrigleyview as you'll see in a minute... The journey began at the Merchandise Mart in my blue pencil skirt and patent leather sandals. Not the greatest walking home outfit, but it would have to do. 

I talked to Kati from the Mart, all the way through Old Town & partly in to Lincoln Park.

Found this Pi-looking statue & had to take a photo for my mom.

Listened to the Kooks radio through the majority of Lincoln Park, which was also the windiest part of the journey.

Didn't realize I would, but I somehow hit Boystown. I obviously need to learn my neighborhood lines a little better...

Started talking to Whitney in Lakeview East.

Hit Wrigley Field and felt so close to home & proud of my journey.

Central Lakeview aka Wrigleyville

And finally...my front door.

It may have taken me right around an hour and a half to walk home, but one of my friends at work who lives 2 blocks from me said it took her two and a half hours to get home on the bus. Not only did I save  frustration by avoiding the bus and money by not taking a cab, but I also got in a good workout and got to catch up with 2 good friends that I had gone too long not catching up with.

The next goal is to run home from work. I know I can, but we'll see when that actually happens... Until then, I can cross walking home from work off the summer bucket list.

Day 30: I Am

I made it! 

Another 30 straight days of thankfulness, and honestly, it has been a great 30 days. 

Taking the time to reflect more has brought up some anxieties and places to grow, but it has also been a great journey of reflection and acknowledging the simple, beautiful parts of my life.

Last year at this time, I wrote my "I Am" post. I had just graduated from college & was reflecting on who I was & where I was going. I was reminded of it the other day and really enjoyed returning to it and reflecting on what I still feel I am and how I've grown and changed.

To finish up my latest 30 days of thankfulness, I'd like to reflect on who "I Am" again and add in things I love.

I am strong. confident. loving. honest. resilient. thoughtful. ambitious. a daughter. sister. friend. coworker. I love braiding my hair & going to hip hop. I love having a roommate whom I get along with & always has my best interests in mind. I am smart. brave. curious. healthy. happy. young. alive & free. I love painting my nails & running along the lake. I love planning trips with my bff & dreaming of everywhere we're going to go. I love dreaming about all of the possibilities of the future but letting each day come one at a time. I am a dreamer. a thinker. honest. true. loyal. alive & free.

I am thankful to be where I am.

Day 29: Walk Down Southport

Whenever I walk down Southport, I always see fun doors and wish I had my camera with me. I could use my phone, but I've always taken my door photos on my camera so I guess I always want to take the photos on it. Sunday, I finally remembered to throw my camera in my bag and snapped a few photos on Kathryn's and my walk down Southport.

Taking photos of doors was one of my favorite things to do while studying abroad thanks to all of the beautiful European doors, and I was scared the hobby would end there or be contained to vacations abroad. Thankfully, there are beautiful, interesting doors here in the USA as well, you just have to keep your eyes open for them.

I don't know what there is about doors that I'm so intrigued by. Maybe it's my curiosity about who lives behind them. Never the less, I'm thankful to be able to still enjoy this hobby stateside, especially on a beautiful, warm Sunday in Chicago.

Day 28: First Festival of the Year

Memorial Day marks the start of summer and since Chicago is king of the festivals, I attended my first festival of the year on Saturday. Kathryn and I have already poured over our copy of Chicago magazine starring each festival we want to hit and scheduling our weekends so we don't miss them. During the summer, there is usually at least one fun festival to go to each weekend for Chicagoans and vistors to enjoy and our festival for this weekend was the Belmont/Sheffield Music Festival. 

I love festival season because restaurant and bar patios grow extensively into the closed streets.

There's almost always live music to enjoy and usually people have drank enough that I can dance as much as I'd like and no one cares.

And people watching is absolutely phenomenal.

They were selling wrestling masks at the festival and this child obviously felt he needed to buy and wear one around scaring unsuspecting festival-goers. The picture above is blurry, but I think it does his creepiness justice. I literally jumped and was almost in tears the first time I saw him. He must have heard me freak out because he figured out I was scared of him and kept coming up to me to creep me out. I tried to get over it and danced with him until I couldn't take it any longer and Kathryn kept me away from him the rest of the evening.

Minus the creepy child (and even he will make a good story in the future), it was a successful kickoff to festival season.

Day 27: Noxzema

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, Kathryn & I planned my first trip to the beach :)

The day got off to a great start by wearing my beach clothes to work.

And after just 3 hours of work (gotta love half days!), a coworker and I headed over to the beach. It was nothing but pure joy the whole walk over, especially when we were walking through the tunnel under Lakeshore knowing we were getting so close. The beach in Chicago is so crazy because you're sitting on the beach relaxing yet there is a bustling city and beautiful skyline behind you the whole time.

There were views like this:

And this:

Classic feet shot

And there was a fabulous nap.

Then the day started to head south, however. I quickly began to realize I was burning more than usual, and although I hadn't slathered on the sunscreen as much as I should have, it still should have done a better job than it did. This is when I discovered that my sunscreen was older than I realized and had expired....

Cut to painful & splotchy sunburns over my legs, chest, stomach and arms:

And enter Noxzema purchased at CVS just in time to save the day.

I'm not personally a fan of classic aloe, but Noxzema always
 takes the sting out and leaves my skin nice and soft.

Overall, it was a pretty successful day minus the painful reminder that I am in fact not invincible and need working sunscreen just like the rest of the world. You live & you learn.

Thanks Noxzema for taking some of the pain out of my stupidity.

Day 26: Growth

Thursday was going great, and then something hit me out of left field. Something that just a year ago would have made me curl up in a ball, be anti-social, and want to forget it ever happened. Something that would have made me lose my balance and peace of mind.

Thankfully, over the past year, I've taken the time to invest in my health and well being more than I had been. I've gotten back to the gym and am almost back to being in the type of shape I like to be in. Sara bought me these books for my birthday that helped me get back in touch with my spiritual life. I've returned to journaling as a form of relaxation and relief from anxiety. I've invested in good, meaningful friendships. And I've learned to take each day one at a time.

When Thursday evening went differently than I thought it would, I took the rest of the day in to my own hands. Instead of  pushing people away and crumbling in on myself, I let myself be upset then called Natalie and Kathryn to hang out and chat. I let myself think. talk. vent. I let my friends help me. I let them comfort me. And I let myself deal in a healthy way.

Love them

We sat on the floor (well I did at least) chatting and drinking wine then Kathryn made us gouda and pesto grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and had a really good time.

My delish grilled cheese

I can't lie and say that I wasn't upset or that there wasn't any frustration or anxiety attributed to the situation, but I am so thankful to have been
able to handle it the way I did.

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." - Epictetus

Day 25: Living in a Walkable City

Thanks to a beautiful day on Wednesday, I was able to enjoy minimal public transportation. Don't get me wrong, I love the CTA, but I also really love walking around the beautiful city.

I enjoyed a walk to my favorite lunch spot with Kathryn and then one to Old Town to meet up with friends after work. I know you always have the option of walking no matter where you are, but I feel like Chicago makes it so easy. There are always beautiful buildings and interesting people to watch that make any walking adventure a blast.

Sadly, there aren't any photos from my walk to Old Town because I was chatting with my mom, but I do have some from my lunch trip.

On my way to our lunch spot

It's so entertaining when the bridges lift for the sailboats

So thankful for always having the option to walk.

Day 24: Live Music

I love live music and last night, I finally got the chance to see a friend's band perform for the first time. It was an acoustic set at the Hard Rock Hotel, so not the 'full' electric experience I guess, but it was still a lot of fun. I love seeing people do things they love. 

It reminds me of how alive I felt whenever I played volleyball or when I decided to try out for the musical my senior year or tried my hand at a real dance class for the first time. It also reminds me how much I miss having something of my own like that. I miss the performing aspect. Even playing volleyball was a performance of sorts, and I miss the adrenaline and excitement surrounding it.

I've been talking to Kathryn the past few months about needing to find my own 'performance' hobby, but I just haven't found it yet. Stand up? Storytelling? Poetry slams? Nothing seems to fit yet. Or maybe I'm too scared to jump in and be bad at something.

I love keeping this blog and going to the gym and making my cards, but I still feel a little restless in the creative/performing part of my life. At least I have a fire in me to find what gives me that excitement again. Until then, I'm thankful to have the opportunity to see others do what they love.

Day 23: Working From Home

Thanks to the safety and commute concerns from NATO being in Chicago this weekend, I was able to work from home on Monday. I still had work to do, but it was so nice to sleep in, work from my bed and not get out of my comfy clothes all day.

My 'desk' for the day

My Monday work clothes :)

I don't think it ended up being as big of a deal as expected because a bunch of people stayed home, but still, thanks NATO for helping me have a relaxing work day from home!

Day 22: Trip Planning

My best friend Natalie stayed with me Sunday night before flying out to San Francisco which was the perfect time for us to properly catch up (aka not via technology) and officially set our itinerary for our Euro vacation. Since she leaves in a few weeks for Turkey for 7 months, this was pretty much the only possible time to work together on our trip.

First, however, we spent a good amount of time enjoying our Whole Foods salad bar finds and catching up about life...

...then jumped head first in to trip planning. 

Natalie was my travel buddy during study abroad, so we have a pretty good system down for planning. It includes both of us brainstorming where we want to go and see on a Google Doc, then Natalie working through the logistics of getting from place to place and finding good deals on transportation while I lounge around consulting from time to time, then me researching hostels and actual activities and restaurants in the cities and rearranging the itinerary a bit so it flows well. Minus a few blips (mostly on my part), it's worked well for us in the past, and I am so excited for our newest adventure.

Our original plan included the south of France, but after looking in to the logistics a bit more and keeping our sanity in mind, we cut it out and are spending more time in Portugal and Spain. 

Our final itinerary includes Paris, Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Sevilla, Granada, Madrid, and back to Paris. It's a lot of places to hit, but I think we have it set up well and have a good mix of exploring days and relaxing days.

When we finally finished, I indulged in pinning tons of photos of all the beautiful places we are visiting :)

I am so thankful for the time I had with Natalie, especially since there is a good chance I won't see her again until we meet up in Paris at the end of August, and for our fabulous trip! I have already been looking forward to it, but now that we have a set itinerary, I have even more to look forward to.

Day 21: My Return to Hip Hop

Saturday marked my return to hip hop class, and an all time high of endorphin levels. We used to have dance class at my gym, but the instructor abruptly left a few months ago. Thankfully, he teaches at a gym right down the street from my apartment, and I finally made it over to his class this weekend. It costs $20 for a day pass, but honestly, it was the best $20 I've spent.

It was 45 minutes of Zumba followed by 45 minutes of hip hop in a sweat box of a room, but it was a blast and such a great workout! 

I love showing up to dance class and being a little shy during the warm-up then just going all out and not caring about how 'silly' I may look. I was on cloud nine my entire walk home and most of the afternoon and will definitely try to go to class whenever I can.

Oh goodness, the sweaty ballet bun...

Day 20: Lunch with Ayo

I didn't realize it until today, but it had been almost 2 weeks since I had seen my friend Ayo. This is weird because we work in the same building and either have lunch together at least once a week or see each other at the gym. Thanks to crazy schedules though, we hadn't had the time to meet up.

Ayo is one of those people who are just meant to be in your life. We both were advertising majors at the U of I and had most of our classes together. Then we both studied abroad in Verona and now work in the same building just floors apart from each other. I am so thankful to have her in my life and always value our lunches and workouts together.

Thankfully, we both were free to lunch today and got to enjoy the beautiful weather along the river.

I ate my delicious roasted veggie salad from Artisan Cellar.

We watched the Coast Guard drive up & down the river thanks to NATO being in town.

And had a great catch up chat.

Day 19: Playlists from Friends

Oh, the mixed CD. Honestly, who isn't a fan?

There were the summer road trip mixes listened to driving around with all the windows down. The volleyball warm up mixes played before each game. And of course the mixes from your crush that you listened to on repeat until you knew every word of every song.

First there were mix tapes, then mixed CDs, and now we have the Spotify playlist. This week, my friend & I decided to make playlists for each other, and the new playlist was the soundtrack for my day on Thursday. It reminded me of songs I once loved and had forgotten about and introduced me to things I may never have found on my own.

So thankful for mixed playlists to add a little fun and provide the soundtrack to life.

Day 18: Day Trip

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to go to Cincinnati to help lead an event for work. I was so excited because it was a methodology I've been wanting to help with for a while, and I didn't find out I would get to go until last Friday. It was a whirlwind of a trip (we flew out at 7 am and back at 7:45 pm) but was also a lot of fun and I learned so much.

Hello 7 am flight

Hazelnut Soy Latte to fight the 4:30 am wake up

Solo cup goblet found in the Cincinnati airport gift shop

Finished the day with an Angry Orchard Crisp Apple cider

It was a long day, but I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to travel to Cincinnati & help with the event.

Day 17: Yellow Nail Polish

I saw light yellow nail polish last week on one of the fashion blogs I read, and decided I probably needed some. I looked this weekend at Target but didn't find any. I was so excited when I found it today at CVS though!

Not that I need more nail polish, but it's a small, inexpensive joy in my life.

Day 16: Lunch on the River

After many weeks of subpar weather, Monday was absolutely perfect. So perfect that there was no way I could stay inside all day, so I met Kathryn on the river for lunch. 

It was the perfect hour of enjoying our lunch and the sun.

Day 15: My Mom

Sunday was Mother's Day & I couldn't have been happier to have been able to share it with my mom. 

She has been so supportive of me this year and even though I live in Chicago now, she has always been just a phone call away (which I take advantage of most days of the week).

One of my favorite posts was my post about my mom from last year. It is equally as true now as last year, but for now I just want to say:

Thanks for being amazing Mom. I love you.

Day 14: Celebrating My Brother's Graduation

Words can't even describe how proud I am of my brother, Michael. He has been living in Albuquerque, New Mexico the past semester for an internship at a prestigious national lab, graduated from the University of Illinois this Sunday, and will be moving to Boston in September to attend MIT for his PhD. 

We have always been close, and I am so thankful to have been able to celebrate his graduation weekend with him. Due to the bus schedule, I wasn't able to attend his actual ceremony on Sunday, but here are the highlights from the rest of the weekend.

When I got in on Friday, I met up with my friend Liz. She was a consultant for our sorority all last year and this was the first time I had seen her since January! We went through a lot together and it's always so nice to see her.

I don't actually have any photos with Kathryn from the weekend, but she came home with me and was a huge help in preparing for my brother's party! Saturday morning we went on a 2 mile run on the beautiful trails in Mahomet. 

My favorite part of the trail. The trees bloom in the fall and the
petals fall on you when you run through :)

In the middle of our run, we walked through the botanical gardens and hung out at the coy pond for a bit. We even saw a snake swimming in the pond! Yikes!

My daily 10:30 alarm went off in the middle of our run and was a nice reminder for the day :) 

One of the quotes I live by :) 

When we got back from our run, it was time to go pick up my brother from his girlfriend's apartment on campus so he could help us get ready. Thankfully, she lives with 2 of my best friends from the house, so I got to see them on their graduation day also! I didn't tell them I was coming to the apartment, so it was fun surprising them. 

Torie & Jane looking lovely and me looking sweaty in my running clothes.

It ended up being a lot warmer this weekend than I thought which means I packed completely inappropriately and had to raid my mom's closet for a grad party outfit. I've been wanting to wear this skirt anyways, so I didn't complain too much.

After preparing food and the house all day, my brother's party turned out phenomenal! We had tons of family and friends over and everyone had a good time. Being around my extended family is when I'm at my best, so it was really nice to see everyone.

The whole fam

With the graduate

We spent a bunch of time cleaning up after everyone left and this scene was too funny not to capture...my cat really wanted to hang out with some of the leftover alcohol for some reason.

Even though I didn't get to attend the ceremony, I did get in on some pics during the day. The weather was absolutely perfect, and it was so nice to spend some time outside.

Congratulations Michael! I am so proud of you and cannot wait to see what other great things you will do with your life!