Two Weeks In

So, I've been in Chicago for two weeks. It's been a lot of fun, and it's been interesting learning about all the ways Chicago and Texas differ. That's actually one of my favorite things to do, compare Texas and Chicago, because there are so many differences between the two. Apparently it's illegal to talk on your phone while driving in Illinois, which is something I could never have imagined happening. Luckily, I'm not driving anywhere anytime soon, so this won't affect me too much. There are obviously less trucks here, I never really see any except for when I'm on the highway. There are hardly any parking lots, which is so very different from Texas, where every store has a gigantic parking lot. Everyone seems to be pretty fit here, too, which I'm sure has to do with the fact that everyone is constantly walking around the city. My legs hurt pretty bad the first week, but I've gotten used to the amount of walking this city requires.

Other than walking, the public transportation has been really fun to figure out! I've mastered hailing a cab, and actually really enjoy cab rides, which I only take late at night or if I've got something really heavy to carry a long distance. The train has been my second favorite mode of transportation, and it's easy to figure out once you get an idea of what you're doing. Harder to understand, though, is the bus system, and I've only taken one bus since I've been here. I'm sure I'll get it down though, before winter comes, hopefully!

Also, buildings are so weird here. I mean, maybe they're not that weird, but they're different. In Chicago, generally, they go up, rather than out, because everything is so tall. When Anthony and I were shopping, we went into a Macy's and started looking for the Men's section.We took an escalator up, and then one more, so we were on the third floor, and we thought "okay, well then it has to be the next floor." It wasn't. But surely it was on the next one, right? Long story short, the Men's section was on the eighth floor of the Macy's, which I didn't even know was possible. Plus, with only one floor of men's clothing, I can't even imagine what was on the seven other floors. A Target we went into was two stories, and there was an escalator for carts, which I had never seen before, but apparently that's a norm here. Even the Jewel-Osco down the street is two stories.

I've also been running more than I usually do. Running along the lake shore is a blast, people are out at the beaches, enjoying the small amount of time that the beaches are actually open, and people run, bike, rollerblade and skateboard up and down the Lake Shore Trail. I'll have to take a camera with me the next time I go because the view is probably the coolest thing about the trail. It runs right along the lake, so you've always got that to look at, and in the near distance is the Chicago skyline which, needless to say, is magnificent. The first day I ran, I went all the way to Navy Pier (about 5 miles from where I started) because it's so easy to see it and think "that's not too far away, I can do it!" Even running back was enjoyable, and it makes you feel like you're a part of the movement of the city when you see so many people running with you. I also went to yoga in a little studio down the street from me, and it was probably the most challenging yoga class I've ever been to. It was fun though, and hopefully I'm more flexible because of it!

I've also (surprisingly) been a vegetarian since I moved here. I didn't think that it was something for me necessarily, but it turns out that it's not actually that hard to cut meat out of your diet. For me, it's been a lot of oatmeal, pasta, Boca burgers and Morning Star chik'n nuggets, as well as a lot more vegetables and fruits than I was getting before. Some favorites of mine that can go along with any meal are carrots with ranch dressing and applesauce. I'm also a huge fan of the little broccoli and cheese frozen packages at the grocery store. It's been a challenge to find things that I like at restaurants, but at the same time, it's opened me up to things I normally wouldn't eat, including mushrooms, which I wouldn't have gone near before, but seem to be a staple in vegetarian diets. I'm not sure how long this is going to last, but it's been so fun and interesting trying it out, and at least I've opened myself up to trying new foods. I don't feel like I can speak to the health bit just yet, only because it's too soon to determine that, but I don't see how eating more fruits and vegetables can possibly be a bad thing!

Some of the major things I've done while I've been here include (but certainly aren't limited too): Chicago Cubs game, shopping on the Magnificent Mile, running the Lake Shore Trail, and Rivers Casino (I won $40!). I feel like there's so much more to do, so many museums to visit and theaters to go to. I have a lot to experience in Chicago, and I'll definitely be keeping everyone up to date on what's going on!