MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

My parents came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. Rumor has it I was a pretty good tour guide! It started with an architectural boat ride down the river, which was really interesting. I learned more about the city in 90min than I have in three months! Chicago has some pretty amazing buildings when you stop and take a look. That night I brought my parents back to their college days and took them to a free draft beer happy hour! Surprising, I think they had fun hanging out at a local dive bar meeting some of my classmates.

Saturday the rain held off just long enough to do a tour of the main campus and walk around downtown Evanston a bit. For dinner, we had famous Chicago deep-dish pizza at Gino’s East, which was fantastic like always. I highly suggest it if you’re ever in town! Then the big surprise of the weekend… We went to see Blue Man Group! It’s a famous audience interactive show at Blair Street Theater. Three guys paint themselves blue and do really random obscure acts. They are very talented musicians and play the drums on just about anything. They are just so bizarre that you keep watching with your jaw dropped wondering what they are going to do next. I won’t say anything else in case you haven’t seen it but it’s definitely a fun show!

Sunday we had brunch on top of the John Hancock building – the 95th floor to be exact. It was the most spectacular view of the city I’ve ever seen. Our table was right next to the window overlooking lake Michigan and Navy Pier. After brunch, my parents took off on an 11hr journey back home with my packed car. THANKS Mom and Dad!
I topped off the weekend by going to a CUBS game on Memorial Day. Even though they lost, it was a great day. The stadium was sold out (like always) and a young military sergeant that had lost both legs and an arm in Iraq threw out the first pitch. That was really special to watch. It’s also tough because my brother is still in Iraq (for the fourth time) and it was a gut-wrenching reminder of what can happen over there.

Chicago has been wonderful… I look forward to coming back next year. I think it was the best decision to start school again and I’m so excited that I already have a quarter under my belt. I feel like I’ve got the best of both worlds now… meaning I’m not putting my entire life on hold while I slide. I’m also working towards my Master’s, which I would have wanted to do eventually so it works out perfectly.
Now it’s on to Chula Vista! I’m SO EXCITED to get back to full-time training with my teammates. Next time I write it will be from sunny California! YAY

Kentucky Derby Weekend

I just wanted to share a picture from our Kentucky Derby get-together. It was a great day for some horse racing. I was cheering for Scat Daddy and Street Sense so I was excited with the results! What an awesome finish!!! I'm wishing for the first Triple Crown winner in my lifetime so let's see if this horse can pull it off!!

This past week the trees started to bloom! woohoo! Finally, the weather is getting warmer and this city is coming to life. Here's the view from my balcony...not bad! I'll be sad to leave it. Ok...I have to get back to writing a paper. That's all for now :) (Top Photo: Jen, Kristin and Me all dressed up for the derby)

3 Weeks 2 Go

Things are still great here in Chicago. I took some pictures on my way to workout this morning so I thought I'd share them. Training has been going well. I've had to combine two-a-day sessions into one, which has been tough, but I guess that's what it takes in the city. The hardest part is doing everything on my own...I really miss having my teammates around. I've gotten involved with some extra curricular activities to keep myself motivated. Hip Hop dance classes anyone? I've been going every week! It's a full hour of fast pace dancing that leaves you exhausted by the end. It's a great way to meet new people, change things up a bit, learn a few steps and have fun! Other than that, I've taken a few salsa classes, yoga/Pilates classes and even a swim class at my gym. Wow, I've done a lot... no wonder I'm always tired!haha Classes have been challenging. Now that the quarter is wrapping up, all of my big projects and papers are due. It can be stressful but I'm trying to do a little each day so hopefully it won' t be too overwhelming at the end. I had a class today that was held at the US Cellular Stadium (home of the White Sox). We had a panel discussion with four successful women that work for the team and then we had a personal tour of the venue.... VERY impressive place! Yet another great networking opportunity which was awesome. I can't believe I only have three weeks left here! I knew it would fly by but WOW, that was fast. I also came to the realization tonight that most of my classmates won't even be here next spring when I come back... bummer. I guess I'll have to start fresh each year with meeting new people. Well, that's all for now. I'm going to bed!
Photos:
1) View from the middle of the famous "Magnificent Mile"/Michigan Avenue
2) Bicycle art displayed along Michigan Ave
3) Downtown- Northwestern Chicago Campus