Race Results

Today, as promised, I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon. What a day it has been. I started at 4:30 this morning so I could eat some breakfast before I left to meet a friend at a shuttle pick-up at 5:30. We arrived at the race at around 6:45 (the buses were running late) and started right around 7:15. The trail was really cool, and we ran along the highway with views of the lake and the skyline ahead of us. This race was a whole lot busier than the one I had done in April, so it was tough to bypass the slower people but eventually we found our stride.

I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I really wanted to get under 1:50 and beat my old time of 1:50:38. Unfortunately, I just couldn't do it. I ended up with the time 1:51:44 (adding 1:06 from last time). I think the problem was that I stayed with my friend for the first 8 miles because I thought it was motivation to keep me going the same speed as him, but really he was just going faster than I should have been. If I had kept my own pace I would have ended up with a time of 1:48, so I should have just done that. He ended with a time of 1:46, and I honestly didn't even think of getting a time like that as a possibility. It was definitely cool running with him though because it was fun to feel like we were running as a team, and we would split up to bypass some people and then get back together, and we were always looking out for one another. I wish I could have kept up though! Anyway, I still feel accomplished, and even though I'm disappointed, I know I can just do that much better at the next one.

Speaking of the next one, my potential (and likely) running schedule looks like this: on October 21 there is another half-marathon in Chicago called the Monster Dash (www.chicagomonster.org). I just heard about this a few days ago but I really want to do one more half-marathon before I move on to a marathon. Today's run made me solidify my choice (even more so) to do the Dallas Marathon on December 9th. I think finishing a half-marathon is pretty cool but a marathon must be a pretty amazing accomplishment. Plus, the fact that it is in Dallas is ideal because I could have a lot of friends and family cheering me on, and it would be really motivating to see people I know on the sidelines! So I definitely look forward to that, and hopefully I'll see you there! I think that will be the next time I'm in Texas, so I'm excited.

Also, my legs aren't too sore or banged-up, but usually the day after is the worst day for aches and stiffness, so we'll see how that goes. Anyway though, I'm gonna head to bed, I'm pooped! I'll post some pictures as soon as they're uploaded onto the website. Until then!

FAQs

Well it's been over two months since my last update, so I have quite a bit to share. I've decided to put this blog entry into a "question and answer" format, as I think that if I were to see most of y'all, these are the questions you might ask me. So, here goes:

Where do you live now?

My apartment building. The windows to the
right of the door are actually ours.

As of August 1st, I've been living in a new apartment with my friend Emily. I've known Emily since middle school because we both went to Trinity. When people would ask me if I knew anyone in Chicago, she's the one I would tell them about. Even though we had only seen each other a few times since I moved up here (she was living really far away in south Chicago), it just so happened that we were both looking for a roommate at the same time. We agreed to live together on a Tuesday, and by Thursday we had already found a place and put our name on the list. Talk about moving quick.

Me and Emily in high school, working with the church in the valley.

The apartment is really nice, there's only two of us and I'm paying less than I used to. The location is also a whole lot better. I really liked my old neighborhood, but now I live a block from the lake shore running trail, and closer to all of the places I would usually visit. Living here now makes me realize just how removed I was before and I'm glad to be closer to all my friends and the places we hang out. Getting to work is a whole lot easier too, as I only have to take one bus. That brings us to the next question...

Where are you working?
I'm still working at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for now. The summer season just ended on Monday, so things have slowed down considerably. I've begun my search (once again) for something full-time. I think I can maintain my living situation off of serving at Bubba Gump, so I definitely have time to make sure I find something that I really enjoy and will stay at for the long-term. I've been applying to a bunch of different universities and colleges in the Chicago area, because it seems like a good place to start a career. Something like an Admissions Adviser or Administrative Assistant could be an excellent position. My most promising thus far was an Event Planner for the Career Center at DePaul University. I just applied to that one two days ago, so on most of these I still feel really hopeful. Of course I'll post an update when I find something, hopefully soon!

Anything interesting happen recently?
Yes, actually, thanks for asking! This past weekend (Labor Day weekend) we had to German couchsurfers stay at our apartment. For those who don't know, couchsurfing is a community (www.couchsurfing.com) where people travel around the world and stay on other people's couches. I've never participated before, but my roommate and a few of my friends have done it and I was interested in the opportunity to meet new people from all over the United States or the world. So for our first time we had two people (a guy and a girl, 19 and 20) from Germany. They had just graduated and were traveling all over the US and Canada. They stayed with us Wednesday through Sunday and slept on our couch and on a thin air mattress on the floor. The way couchsurfing works, they didn't have to pay us, it's just kind of a community thing. I know it sounds risky and strange, but it's actually really cool and there are reviews for each person so you know whether or not they've used the program before or not. One more benefit is that now I have a place to stay if I ever decide to visit Berlin!

What's coming up?
I've got a few big things I'm excited about, the first of which is tonight! I've created a book club with a few friends and our first meeting is at 8. The August book was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and tonight we're just going to discuss what we liked and I've also found some discussion questions online so stimulate conversation. I think it's going to go pretty well! Only four people read, but I think in September we're going to get a few more members. I also just bought some wine, cheese and crackers to make it a fun little gathering.

This Sunday I'll be running in my second half-marathon! It's called the Chicago Half Marathon (www.chicagohalfmarathon.com) and it's one of the biggest in Chicago. I think this one is going to be better than my last in a lot of ways, but mostly because the route is so extremely different than anything I'm used to. I don't feel as prepared as I did for the one in April, but there are a few things that I know are going to motivate me more than when I'm running on the lake shore by myself. The energy of the crowd has a lot to do with it, as does the temperature, which looks to be somewhere around 60 degrees at the start of the race. I'm hoping to beat my time from April (01:50:38.2) so that I can feel like I've made some progress. Also, I'm highly considering doing the Dallas Marathon (www.dallasmarathon.com) on December 9th, but that has yet to be determined... stay tuned!

I've also got a hankering for exploring some nature and going on a trip, so I think in a few weeks some friends are I are going to go to Starved Rock State Park (http://starvedrockstatepark.org/). This place looks awesome. We'll have to rent a car (it's a two hour drive) but it will be well worth it. I'm thinking just a Saturday day trip but we might camp overnight or something. Anyway, that's exciting!

Is that it?
Yup, I think that's about it. Hopefully this sums up my summer pretty well and leaves you wanting more! I'll post the information about my race on Sunday. Other than that, I'll talk to everyone soon. Also, I'll leave you with some pictures from my most recent trip to Texas (8/17-8/20). Thanks for reading!

San Antonio friends (Katie, Jazmyn, Sarah, Amy
John Paul, Preston and me)

Goodnight!

Eating Whataburger

Going down the tube chute!

After the river

A Summer of Festivals

Two weekends ago was a huge weekend for festivals in Chicago. Apparently, during Chicago summers, there are festivals to be found somewhere in the city every single weekend. There just happened to be five this weekend: Ribfest, Andersonville Midsommarfest, Old Town Arts Festival, Waveland Park Chill and Grill and Bluesfest at Grant Park. Luckily I had Saturday off and I wanted to make it to as many of them as I could. And while I didn't end up making it to all five, I got to go to both Ribfest and Midsommarfest.

My friend Marcus met me at my apartment around noon and we collectively decided (largely based on our empty stomachs) that Ribfest was the best place to start our day. It was really nice and sunny out, plus the festival was only about seven blocks from my apartment, so we decided to walk instead of taking the CTA. After stopping at a convenience store for a small snack (our stomachs were extremely empty), we made it to the Festival of Ribs.

The sheer amount of rib selection was overwhelming. When 30 different restaurants are vying for your money (or in this case, tickets) it's hard to decide which place will be the best. We chose to try five different sample platters at different booths instead of getting a half or whole rib at just one or two. Any place that mentioned the words "Texas-style" definitely had my vote, but we needed to base such important decisions on more than just familiarity. There were so many good ribs there, with so many different sauce choices. We rated them based on taste and ease of eating (whether they were falling off of the bone or not). My ultimate selection was the first one we tried, but I'm pretty sure my opinion was biased due to the fact that I was starving upon arrival. So after our five samples, a little bit of wine tasting and lots of water and hand wiping, we decided to head back to my place to rest for a minute before hitting up the next festival.

After an hour of just hanging out in the air conditioning, we decided that Andersonville's Midsommarfest was going to be our next target. Andersonville is a neighborhood north of Wrigleyville, almost on the outskirts of Chicago. Even though it was about two miles north of my apartment, we weren't having very good luck with the buses that day and we ended up walking all the way there. I did need to stop for some sunscreen though, as I was already getting red from the couple of hours we had spent at Ribfest.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect or what a "midsommar" might entail, but it didn't matter because I literally could not have possibly guessed how the day would turn out. After spending about an hour walking around the streets of the festival (which was just like any other street festival: bands playing, dance crews performing, food vendors, etc.) we met up with a mutual friend at a bar we had never been to. We met some of his friends and just chatted for about thirty minutes before the friend we had met ducked out to go take a nap. So here we were, at a bar with people we had just met, and so of course they invite us to a garden party at someone's apartment. I feel like that's Chicago summers in a nutshell: you never know who you're going to meet or where you're going to go next. So we met even more people and drank free beer and just had a good time conversing. The day was getting late though, and we decided to take off soon after.

The festivals were awesome, but the experiences around them were even better. If this is what Chicago summers are like, then I'm a huge fan. Of course there are even more festivals to come: Pizzafest, Burgerfest, Market Days, and even more that I haven't heard of yet. Let's hope every weekend this summer can be as awesome as this one was.

Part 2: The Wedding

Preston and I got ready to head to the wedding at his place, and luckily Preston knew how to tie my tie or I would have been out of luck. We were also getting pretty hungry, and as I didn't want to pass out in the heat, we stopped by Walmart to grab some snacks. After that, we swung by Jake's place to pick up him and DW.

Of course we arrived late to the wedding, but we didn't miss anything, so it was okay. After quickly saying "hello" to everyone, I went with the other ushers to stand at the front of the aisle and escort people to their seats.

The site of the ceremony, minus the seats.

Being an usher was extremely easy considering that the aisle was so short. I was definitely more nervous about it than I should have been. Most people opted to just walk to their seats alone anyway, but the people I did take were more than happy to have some assistance. I actually got to be a part of the ceremony, which I wasn't expecting, when I walked Grandma from the house on the property to her seat at the very beginning. After that I sat back and watched what turned out to be a very nice wedding.

Courtney and Aunt Anne.

Courtney and Uncle Bubba.

Courtney and Grant.

Jake recorded the whole ceremony and made a short little video that you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCNQrQp3nL8.

After the ceremony, of course, comes the reception and the dance and all the good stuff. The reception was held at the same place, feet away from where the ceremony was held. The dinner was Mexican cuisine which I was extremely happy about. I got to visit with everyone in my family and overall we had a really good time. I don't know that I could have asked for a better birthday celebration, being with both my family and my Texas friends.

After the reception ended, we went to Jake's for a little bit and just hung out. The next day I needed to be in San Antonio around 12 to pick my mom up from the airport, so we got to bed kind of early. All in all, though, the day was awesome, and I'm so happy I was able to make it down from Chicago to attend such an awesome wedding. Now I'm wondering which on of the Bondesen cousins will be next!

Texas in May

Chapter 1: Arrival and a Birthday Celebration

On Friday, May 4^th, my early morning flight (which I almost missed, I got to the gate 15 minutes before the plane left. There was also a baby sitting next to me on the plane who spilled it's entire cup of apple juice on my lap as I was sleeping) arrived in San Antonio where I was fortunately able to see my mom who was getting on a flight to leave SA. It was kind of like in the “old days” where your family could be waiting for you right outside the gate, instead of past security. We talked for a minute and then I hopped in the car with Moppy who took me to my mom's apartment. Luckily, because she was going to be gone for the weekend, I got to take my mom's car wherever I wanted. Of course my first stop was Las Palapas.

After a quick lunch with John Paul, I hurried to Kohl's to get the clothes I needed to be an usher at Courtney's wedding (a blue blazer, white button-down and khaki pants). After that, and even though I was in desperate need of a nap, I set off to Austin to pick up Jake and head to the wedding rehearsal, which started at 5:30 that night.

Flash forward to 6:00pm with me and Jake in a car, somewhere near Leander, wondering where we are and trying to find the Hacienda del Lago. After a phone call to Uncle Bubba, we realized we had driven 6 or 7 miles past the exit we needed. We turned around and finally made it to the rehearsal around 6:15. Fashionably late, you might say. Luckily, we didn't need to know much at the rehearsal, just where to stand and when, so we learned what we needed and headed to the rehearsal dinner.

Uncle Bubba, Courtney and Aunt Anne.

We had a whole room to ourselves at Abel's on the Lake, which is a really cool seafood restaurant in Austin. Jake and I were happily surprised to see a large amount of our family there, as we figured it would just be the wedding party. After toasts and catching up, we headed over to Preston's apartment to begin the night of birthday celebration.

I've never been out in Austin before, and I've gotta say, it was pretty great. We had a group of 7 that was the perfect mix of my friends (most of whom I hadn't seen in a long time).

The group, minus Jake, who took the picture.

So after a quick meal of Whataburger, we got ready and headed out. Brittny (standing right next to me in the picture) surprised me with a limo that took us downtown so we didn't have to take a cab or have anyone drive.We each pitched in $5 and got to arrive in style!

In the limo with Brittny and Jake.

After getting dropped off.

After getting dropped off in our cool ride, we preceded to drink and dance and just have a good time. Preston and Brittny live in Austin so they know all the good spots to go on a Friday night, and they acted as our leaders, which was fine by me. We went to three of four different places that night, most of which were on 6th Street, and I've gotta say that Austin is a fun place to party. I had no idea that they closed the actual street down so you could just wander from bar to bar, but that definitely made for a cool festival-like environment.

Group picture on the street.

After the bar closed at 2:30, we decided we were hungry and went to Taco Cabana. Nothing beats a late-night run for some bacon and egg tacos. When we got home around 4, it was extremely easy to just pass out, considering I had been up since 6am the morning before. All in all though, it was a really good night, and I never got too tired, probably because of all the exciting things going on.

Getting ready for bed.

The next morning meant more bacon and egg tacos from Taco Cabana, after which, me, Preston, John Paul and Mikey hung out for a while before the latter two had to head back to San Antonio. That was alright though, because Preston and I had a wedding to get ready for!

Stay Tuned for Chapter 2: The Wedding

The Past 44 Days

Well, I know it's been a while since I've posted, so here goes a good run-down of what I've been up to the past 44 days. Just for continuity's sake (and because I can't remember exact dates), we'll just say that all of these things happened "within the last 44 days".

Went to the Adler Planetarium
My friends and I decided to go to this event called "Adler After Dark" which is a 21+ late-night soiree at the Planetarium in the city (http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/front-page). It's basically all the things that the planetarium usually offers, but with drinks and cool shows. We saw a show about the possibility of other solar systems with conditions suitable for human life and then an even more interesting show that basically gave a view of the night sky that we would be able to see from where our seats were if there were no clouds and no light pollution from the city. Apparently, from where the planetarium is actually located, if there were no clouds in the sky we would actually be able to see all of the stars we looked at. The whole thing made me miss the night sky, as we don't get to see much of it in the city. I think a good camping trip is in order, so that I can reconnect with nature and such. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I got to cross off one museum from my to-do list for the year.

Saw a show
My friend Robert (who's actually from San Antonio, he went to NESA), was in a small theater's production of Little Shop of Horrors. I had never seen the musical before (either live or the movie version), so I was excited to see something new. It was really good, and the little black box theater was the perfect intimate setting for the amount of audience members and cast. I feel like most people have seen the movie version of this musical, but seeing something live always adds an extra element that you can't get from a movie.

Quit two jobs
That's right everyone, I am finally back down to just having one normal job instead of two or even three. Bubba Gump's business is really picking up (especially this upcoming Memorial Day onward), and I no longer require the financial backing of an extra job. It's such a relief to not have to worry about two or three different schedules, and I'm glad that, now, when people ask me where I work, I don't have to go into a diatribe about where I work and why. I'm also glad to have a job that I really enjoy and that can also pay the bills, instead of having two that each give me something different.

Went to Texas
I feel like this is a pretty big deal, and I need to cover both my birthday celebrations AND an entire wedding, so I'm making a separate post for this.

So I think that's about it for the past 44 days. Things have been really slow around here, but as summer picks up I'm sure I'll be out and about more often. I'm finally getting into a good work routine and I can start earning money and doing bigger and better things. I'll definitely be keeping everyone posted!

Oh, the Places I Go

I'm putting this picture up for my dad so he can see the Chicago train map. The only thing that isn't correct about this map anymore is that the Blue line doesn't fork into two, it just goes to Forest Park (and not 54th/Cermak). I'm sure that doesn't matter, but I just wanted to be accurate when explaining this.

So, I live right in between the Southport (Brown Line) stop and the Sheridan (Red Line) stop. They're essentially equidistant from my apartment.

All of the lines collide downtown, where the legend gets all crazy and there are stops everywhere. That's the heart of downtown.

To get to the Marriott I take the Brown Line from Southport to Quincy (20 minute ride).

To get to Sports Authority I take the Brown Line from Southport to Chicago. (15 minute ride).

To get to Bubba Gump I take the Red Line from Sheridan to Grand and then take a bus east to Navy Pier.

When I fly out of Midway (Southwest Airlines), I use the Orange Line. If I'm flying any other airline it's probably O'Hare, so I use the Blue Line. I've only been on the Green Line once and I rarely use the Purple Line. The Yellow Line just goes to Skokie, IL, so I've never used it. I think the Red Line and the Blue Line are the only ones that go underground, so that's kinda fun.

Anyway, that's the mass transit life. Doesn't it sound fun??

Chi Town Half Marathon

I've finally gotten around to crossing some of those New Year's goals off my list. This past Sunday I ran in the Chi Town Half Marathon, making it the first half marathon I've ever ran. I had been training for a while and definitely felt prepared on race day when I took the bus at 7:30am to get to the start line. The atmosphere was really cool, people were excited and looked ready to run. The limit for this race was 3,500 people and I don't know if it maxed out but it seemed like there were at least 2,000 people at the start line. The bus I rode on had about eight runners on it, and as each of us got on I think there was a mutual understanding between all of us that we were all about to do the same thing. When I got off the bus, though, someone asked me where we were supposed to go. I told him I had no idea and we found that we were both brand new to this. We finally found the starting line and he went a little behind me because he said his pace would be slower than mine. We exchanged numbers though, and now I have a new running friend! These races are exciting!

The run itself wasn't so bad, and I think it was just because I knew exactly what I was in for. The trail was kind of what I was used to running (along the lake shore) with a couple of extra detours that were pretty cool. The map is located here: http://www.allcommunityevents.com/chi_town_half_marathon/chi_town_half_map.pdf but I don't know that anyone would understand it anyway, haha. I listened to my headphones the whole time, with an upbeat playlist I had made the night before. I got a few aches and pains along the way, mostly in my feet and my knees, but overall I wasn't hurting too bad. I think one of my problems is that I just want to go really fast, and don't realize I need to pace myself. Grabbing drinks from people on the sidelines is fun though, and throwing them on the ground when you're done is even better. I'm not one to litter, so I felt like a rebel just throwing a paper cup in the grass.

The finish line was fun too! After being cheered on to cross, I went to get my picture taken with my medal (see below). There were also a lot of vendors who had stands and were giving away free things! I drank a lot of Gatorade and water, ate a banana and walked around for a little bit. I would have probably stayed a little longer but I was wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts, and the breeze was starting to get to me. One of the biggest and best decisions I made before the race (literally 10 minutes before I left for the bus) was to NOT where long compression pants under my shorts. I thought it would be cold during the run, but the pants felt really constricting, and I knew I would be uncomfortable. Luckily, the weather was perfect and I didn't need them after all. Anyway, the race was over, a breeze was blowing, and I was ready to get home.

Post-race hasn't been too bad. My knees were hurting a little yesterday and I have blisters on my pinky toes, but I only had very limited soreness. I feel lucky because my new running friend (we'll call him Jake because his name is Jake) said he was pretty sore the past two days. Maybe it's just my genetics!

I found out that I ran the 13.1 miles in 1:50:38, at a pace of 8:27/mile. I'm pretty happy with my results, I knew I wanted under 2 hours but I would have liked to be under 1:50. That just makes me more motivated to go out there and do it again! I also got some coupons for half marathons in June and September so I will definitely be signing up! I think I'm hooked!

Just starting. Wrapping my headphone cord
around my iPod, as you can see.

Finished!

Post-race photo with my medal.

Big Changes, or Why I Think This Summer is Going to be a Blast

This time I haven't posted in a while because I've ACTUALLY been busy, I swear. Let me update you:

Last Thursday I got a job at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (http://www.bubbagump.com/locations/chicago/) which is right on Navy Pier, which is a huge tourist attraction in Chicago. It's one of those places that people say "Oh, you're going to Chicago? You should visit Navy Pier!" about. I'll be serving on the patio (which they took out a month early this year because the weather has been so nice). I've already gotten two training days in, but I kind of have to take it slow because there is so many ingredients and things to learn and when I'm not in training at Bubba Gump's, I'm at one of my other jobs, so I don't have much time to study. Just two more days of training and I'll have my own tables, though! I'm really excited about this because a) I'll be making really good money (the restaurant offers "tourist trap" prices), b) I'll be working outside at one of the coolest spots in Chicago in the nice 75-80 degree weather, c) serving at On the Border was one of my favorite jobs because you meet a lot of cool people while serving. So, all in all, I'm really excited!

As for my other jobs, I have no idea at this point. I don't want to let them go yet (just in case the weather gets cold again and I'm out of patio shifts), but when things really start to pick up and stay stable, I'll be very happy to let them go and just work one job. It'll be nice for things to be so simple again! So while I may be working every day (sometimes two jobs in one day) for the next week or two, I know that just means extra money and I also know that it will be over soon. As for right now, though, I need to get to sleep, I've got work in the morning! Goodnight everyone!

Changes in the Windy City

The weather has finally taken a turn for the better. I've run on the lake shore a couple times this week and have been able to get out into the shining sun without too much chill from the wind. Today I ran in the 55 degree weather and it couldn't have been better. This next week will be in the 60s mostly, so I'm pretty excited about that.

It's also about that time where I need to get back on an exercise and healthy eating routine. I've been slipping in that department for the past week (I'm currently polishing off a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream that I did, in fact, buy earlier today...) so tomorrow I'll kinda cut the crap out and get back to business. Tomorrow also marks my return to the Marriott (it's been about a month since I worked there due to lack of business...). I've mentioned that I am hoping to get a different job soon, and while I've been looking in certain places over the past couple of months, I've just recently started really searching hard. Some restaurants that I applied to on Friday (for a server position) look promising, so keep your fingers crossed for me. The restaurant culture in Chicago is so different from Texas... there are hardly any chains and every restaurant you go to has something cool and unique to offer. Serving is also a nice way to earn some hard cash, which I learned at On the Border. I think it could be a really cool summer job, because the city really comes alive in the summer. Anyway, of course I'll let everyone know if something comes of those applications.

I honestly don't know what's going to be happening over the next couple of weeks, but I sense some major changes, so I'm excited for that, and then I'll have some real good blog posts to discuss! Hope everything is going well with everyone in Texas, I'll be seeing y'all very soon!

I'm Back!

Ok, so I didn't really go anywhere, but I know it's been a long time since I posted, probably the longest time since I've started. I haven't been too busy, but that's the thing: nothing's really been going on. It's been winter in Chicago, essentially, which means staying in and only leaving when you feel you must. I have done a couple of cools things over the past couple of weeks though, and here are a few:

Chicago Mexican Food: I had my first taste of Chicago Mexican cuisine! I went with a friend to a very small Mexican restaurant called El Mariachi. The food was fantastic, but there were some slight differences in the way things were made. First of all, the chips were made of flour tortillas, I think, because they were a dark brown, thick and flaky, like if you were to make them at home in a frying pan. I think I prefer a thin chip, like at Alamo Cafe or Las Palapas, but the salsa they had was really good. Another thing, which my friend was telling me to be true of all Chicago Mexican restaurants, was that the cheese enchiladas I ordered didn't even have the option of chili con carne as a topping. Absolutely everywhere you go in Texas offers that, so I was surprised to hear that news. That's one of my favorite things about ordering cheese enchiladas! Maybe it's more of a Tex-Mex thing... Anyway, for the topping, I had a list of salsas to choose from, and the cautious side of me told me to stick to the mild red. Plain, I know, but it was really good. My friend went with a mole sauce (which is made from cocoa, I believe), but I've had mole before and I'm not the biggest fan. The rice and beans were delicious (the rice assembled in a pyramid and the refried beans in ice cream scoop form) and now I have a place to go whenever I get a craving for Mexican! Next time I need to satisfy my BBQ itch...

Light Show at the Bean: Another friend and I took a trip to see this light show in Millennium Park which turns the Bean into more of an art exhibit than it already is. Basically, these large projectors on either side of the Bean were flashing lights on the ground, constantly changing and moving, as to reflect themselves onto the metallic sculpture. It doesn't look that great from a distance, but once you got under the Bean it was crazy. The wide array of reflections is enough without the light dancing around, and when you add that extra element it's almost too much to handle. You don't know where to look! This is the first time they've done this and it only lasted about a week so I'm glad I got to see it happen!

Ash Wednesday Mass: Something I really enjoy doing is seeing the way other people and cultures live. While this certainly wasn't an extreme look into the lives of other people, I really enjoyed going to Mass on Ash Wednesday to see just what Mass was all about. When a friend of mine texted me that he was going to Mass that night (uncertain of whether I was Catholic or not) and invited me to come along with him, I thought it would be a cool experience, as I'd never been before except for the few times we went to some different churches with Grandma and Peepaw (I'm pretty sure they were Catholic, anyway... I remember all of the ritual kinds of things that we did). Overall, it was very interesting. It's so different from the Baptist sermons I'm used to, and I could barely keep myself from clapping when a girl sang a solo in front of the entire church. Apparently talent is recognized in other ways at this Catholic church because there was no clapping anywhere in the service. I also felt a little out of place because everyone knew exactly what to say and when, while I fumbled with my words and wasn't sure of when I was supposed to sit, stand or kneel. I don't think too many people noticed, though, and I made it out alright, with a much better understanding of the world around me, I would say.

I think that's about all the major things I've done recently, but I'll be back with more soon! I hope to never let such a long break go between posts, so I'll come up with something! Thanks for reading, everyone!

New Year's Resolutions

So I'm a little late on the whole "resolutions" thing, but when I make resolutions (which turn out to be more like goals), they're generally quantifiable, because that's just how my brain works. I'd much rather have goals like "do this, this many times" rather than things like "eat better" and "exercise", because I can't really measure things like that. So, that being said, here is my list:


1. See six shows

Last year, I made it a resolution  to see five shows, and I did (Young Frankenstein the Musical, Billy Elliott, The Drowsy Chaperone, Wishful Drinking and A Christmas Story the Musical), so this year I'm determined to bump that number up to six. This shouldn't be hard to accomplish in Chicago, where there are about five theaters right in the Theatre District downtown.


2. Visit the Chicago Museums

So this resolution includes the Shedd Aquarium, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum, The Adler Planetarium, The Art Institute of Chicago and The Museum of Contemporary Art. Lucky for me, I can already cross off the Shedd Aquarium, because I just went a couple weeks ago. These should be fun to go to in the summer.

3. Do two half-marathons

Half-marathons are things that I haven't ever really gotten into, but definitely want to try out. It takes a couple months of training, but when I went to the Chicago Marathon and saw the community atmosphere, it was something I knew I wanted to be a part of. Now, I'm nowhere near ready for a marathon, but I figured some half-marathons would be a good goal for the year.

Well my list has yet to be completed, but I'll be adding to this over the next few weeks. I'll also write about when I can check things off the list! I usually add a resolution about how many books I want to read in the year, but I've been reading like crazy already and I know I don't need a resolution to keep that up. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Forward Motion

Moving to Chicago has been an absolutely life-changing experience for me. I've been introduced to a new city with different laws, seemingly endless vertical growth (rather than horizontal), an almost entirely different set of ideals, and a liveliness unlike anything I've experienced before. I've made new friends (while simultaneously losing contact with old ones, but that's life), tasted new foods, discovered different ways of thinking and completely surrounded myself with the unknown. This move has brought the bad as well as the good, however, and I've fought a major bout of homesickness, more than a few colds, a complex bus system (that I now feel I've all but conquered), people who say “pop” instead of “soda” and a general feeling of strange disorientation with the world around me. The point I'm trying to make here is that life, and mine in particular at this moment, is about changing things up, embracing the unusual and the strange and discovering new things about both yourself and this amazing world we live in, all to achieve inner growth and expand our points of view. My life at this current moment is about the journey, not the destination, which is why I know for a fact that I'm not done yet.

Since my move, I've had stagnant thoughts of life choices, mostly concerning my career and location. I've been in the mindset that I've chosen this for myself, here I am, there's nothing I can do about it now. The actual truth couldn't be any farther from my discouraging thoughts. The truth that I've been enlightened with is that my life is so far from settled, it's almost sickening. Well, maybe not sickening, but I've got quite a few options for myself. When I moved to Chicago, I did so because I thought, “I've got the world at my fingertips, I have no ties, I can go wherever I want.” This (until recently) undiscovered truth is that I still do. Tomorrow, if I so choose, I could put up an ad on Craigslist for someone to sublease my apartment, apply to jobs in Dallas and move to Texas on the next flight out. I could decide Chicago isn't really my bit and look into moving to Seattle. I could decide to save up some money and move back to San Antonio to live with my mom (the least appealing of these choices, considering I don't even really know if she'd let me). The point is that I still have options, just because I opened the door to Chicago doesn't mean that I've closed any at all. I haven't even closed a door or a window or a shutter, and let me just say that the draft feels nice.

All that being said, however, I feel content with where I am. My lease is up in August and maybe by then I'll have a different mindset and I'll take the train back to Texas, eager to be closer to so many of my friends and family. Or maybe by that time I'll have made such strong relationships here that I couldn't possibly imagine leaving. Either way things work out, I need to focus on the here and now. Overall, I love where I'm at, but I'm not in love with what I'm doing. I've often expressed doubts about whether Marriott or hospitality in general is the right field of service for me, and as I go to work every day, I realize my career might not be going down the path I want it to.

I recently picked up a book by Gretchen Rubin entitled “The Happiness Project” in which Rubin, a New York wife and mother who's completely satisfied with her life, decides that she can get much more out of it. To do that, she takes a look at every aspect of her life and decides how she can better manage her time, organize her internal and external clutter, avoid irritation and explore the world around her. I've taken the smallest of tips from her, mostly about little things like organizing my closet space to remove clutter and feel happier at home, acting the way I want to feel (she states that acting as though you have energy (even if you don't) can, in fact, boost your energy levels), and avoiding irritation by not letting the little things get to me. But the big idea that I've gained from this book (which is something that had already been implanted in my brain, but sometimes I just need to hear it from someone else) is that if I'm not happy with my situation, I have the power to change it.

Despite what I feel is wrong with my current job and even my career path, I know for certain that I would like for it to change. Some people might give me advice like “stick it out” or “hang in there, maybe you'll grow to love it”, but my internal question is always “why?” Why push myself into a job I don't wholly enjoy, one that I often dread going to and get no fulfillment out of? I can't seem to find an answer to that, because I have the power to change my situation, and I fully believe that if you aren't happy with your situation, you should change it.

This glorious mindset alone has made me happier on a day-to-day basis. Going to work knowing that I just filled out applications for other jobs that might get me where I want to be makes the work bearable and fleeting. I no longer care to complain about work, and I don't dread it as much because I know there's something else out there, waiting for me to find it. Every day brings new opportunities, and every “unknown number” phone call could be my ticket to the next big thing.

My journey is nowhere near a close. I live in a room with innumerable doors and every single one of them is open to me. I can live wherever I want, work wherever I want and spend my time however I want. It took a little bit of time for me to realize that none of my choices have been made permanent, and that, even if I were to move back to Texas tomorrow, to say I moved to Chicago after graduation is an accomplishment in itself. Whether I move back in August or not, Chicago will not have defeated me or crushed my spirits. This opportunity has been the internal growth experience of a lifetime, and I couldn't possibly be happier with my decision. Every decision I have made up until now, and even going into the future, has contributed to my own personal forward motion.

Pictures

I just wanted to get some relevant pictures out there, because I know that all too often I'm filled with too many words. I'll just leave it at that and let your eyes do the rest of the work.

Me pointing something out to Wil while we wait for the train. [Photo by: Jake]

Family at a bar on Navy Pier.

Navy Pier.

Talking to Wil on Navy Pier. [Photo by: Jake]

Three brothers on Christmas Day at the Home Alone house.

Walking to the train stop. [Photo by: Jake]

Water Tower. [Photo by: Jake]

The Chicago River at night, taken from a bridge. [Photo by: Jake]

Winnetka, IL train station. Waiting for the train back to Chicago. [Photo by: Jake]

Most recent pictures, from Friday, 1/27/12 at a bar for a coworkers party.

 Ok, so there are some Christmas pictures and a couple more recent ones, just to keep you up to date on everything. Hope you enjoyed, more pictures to come!

Post-Christmas/New Year/Texas update

Ok, so I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I've been extra busy lately! Luckily, not with work though. So much has been going on over the last couple of weeks, so here's a consolidated list with summaries of each event. Let's hope I don't drag this out too much.

Christmas was a lot of fun. It was really cool to have my mom and brothers see where I live and what I've been doing over the last 4 months. It was also nice to get a taste of Texas, as my mom brought me two bean and cheese tacos from Las Palapas! While they were here, we got to see a lot of Chicago and do some touristy activities, a lot of which I had just done with Kayla. On Christmas Eve we went to Fourth Presbyterian Church for a candlelight service, and it was really beautiful. We also stayed in quite a bit though, which was nice, because that's what Christmas has always been like: staying in, eating and being around family. We bought a 1000 piece puzzle on Christmas Eve and finished it the day after Christmas. When I say "finished it", I really mean "almost finished it" because there was one piece missing, which was highly upsetting. I don't really know where that piece could have gone because I don't have a cat or a dog and we didn't move the puzzle or anything, but my mom has a "sticky elbow" theory that may have been the culprit. Oh well, at least it passed the time sufficiently, and we had a lot of fun working on it together. Mom and Jake left on the 27th and Wil stayed until the 29th, so we went to an improv show and I think he liked it... I did, anyway. It felt so nice to get back to normal life, I must say, although I wasn't quite done with the festivities just yet...

New Year's Eve was very simple and laid back, which is kind of how I prefer it. I always miss going to Preston's house on Fleetwood when NYE rolls around, but this year I had a good time nonetheless. I went to a friend's apartment where he had about 10 or 11 people over and we just drank lightly and watch the ball drop. At midnight, we could hear the fireworks over Navy Pier being shot off, and although we could only watch them on TV, I still think it's cool that Chicago has it's own little celebration. The city is very similar to New York City in a lot of ways, and I guess this was kind of one of them. I had to work early the next morning, so I was in bed by 2, but I was pretty pooped about then anyway.

My next adventure was Texas! I spent the 4th to the 10th of January in Texas, which was just the right amount of time to travel all over the state. I wasted no time getting my first bean and cheese tacos from Las Palapas, as my friend John Paul picked me up from the airport and headed straight there. That was the first of many Las Palapas meals in the week to come, and I ended up eating 16 of their tacos over the next 6 days. Somehow, they never get old. (I'd like to just take a moment to say that, when I was little, I was very upset one day when I was promised bean and cheese tacos from Taco Cabana and Poppy brought tacos from Las Palapas. I refused to eat them, and Poppy told me that he'd give me a good deal of money (probably only a dollar, but I was a kid, and having a dollar was a big deal!) if I tried them and didn't think they were exactly like Taco Cabana's. I ended up really liking them but I still wanted that dollar because they weren't like Taco Cabana tacos (because they were much better). I didn't end up with the money, but I did have a new obsession, so I just wanted to say thank you Poppy for forcing this stubborn kid to try something new.) I went to dinner with Moppy, Poppy, Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tony (with mom and Jake, of course) at Sarita's, and ate enchiladas that I had been craving since I left. On that Friday, Preston and I took off to Waco, where we stayed at a friend's house and had a really good time with her and a few of our other friends. The next day we headed farther north to Denton and Dallas and I got to see quite a few of my college friends. On Sunday, we came home (Preston to Austin and Austin to San Antonio) and I got to see my dad and Patricia at Alamo Cafe, another favorite of mine. I think those are all the highlights of my trip, although I feel bad for possibly leaving anything out! I got to see most everyone I wanted, except for the DFW Kunzs, plus Grandma, Peepaw and the Bundes. I know I'll see the latter for Courtney's wedding though, and I'm so excited! I've already been looking at plane tickets, and that will be my next trip to Texas. I think I'll be heading down from the 3rd of May to the 7th (the wedding is on the 5th, so I will definitely remember that...) I can't believe Courtney is getting married! Too weird.

It feels so good to be back in a routine. I've started working regularly, as well as working out regularly. I've also gotten back into eating healthier and spending less money. It's hard to do those two when you have guests who want to experience Chicago cuisine and when you take a trip home and can't stop eating Mexican food! I'll be posting more about normal life soon, as I'm hoping that things will be changing around here real soon. Also, quickly, about the weather, it has been crazy fun. Last night it got down to 10 degrees! Today it snowed for probably 8 hours. It's building up out there, for sure. This is the second time this month that it's snowed like that, and it's always really pretty. But it's true that it gets ugly real quick after a couple days, and sidewalks are slushy and the snow has turned black from cars. Oh well, I'll enjoy it while it's fluffy and white! I'm not sick of it yet, but it's still early, so we'll see. Texas had the most amazing weather when I was there, it makes me miss home! Anyway, I'm going to go now, but expect an update soon! Thanks for reading, everyone!

Kayla's Trip

Every day that Kayla was here, we went nonstop to see the sights, eat the food and live the life of Chicago. There was no stopping us, and no stopping the tens of buses, trains, and taxis we took to get from destination to destination. The best part of her trip was that it actually got me going. Without her here (and even with the same number of days off), I would have probably stayed home quite a bit, played video games, read, worked out, and went out at night to the same places I've been going since I got here. Now, don't get me wrong, those are all great things to do on my days off, and I can't wait to get back to them, but sometimes it takes the adventurousness (yes, that's a word) of a visitor to get people out of their everyday routine. As you'll see, that's exactly what this trip did.

December 17 (Saturday)

Kayla's flight got in early so I had to be up at 8 to meet her at the airport. Luckily for me, it was snowing outside, and I got to walk through the snow while listening to Christmas music on my iPod. For those of you who have never done such a thing, please do. It seriously gives songs like "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "White Christmas" a new meaning.

Anyway, back to the main plot point. I took the bus, then the train to the airport where I met Kayla, and realized how nice it was to see a familiar face. As we were waiting to buy bus passes, a man sold her his 7 day pass (that now had 3 days left) for $5, for a total overall savings of $9. So after we finished our black market deal with him, I bought my pass and we headed out. Let me just stop right here to say that I am so glad I got a 3 day pass instead of using just a regular $20 or $30 card because I have never used the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses and trains as much as I did over the following days. I probably would have spent $30 on all the rides we took, and I only had to spend $14. I also learned a valuable lesson about the availability and usefulness of the city buses, instead of just depending on the trains.

One of my favorite views in Chicago

Before we took her suitcase to my apartment, we went downtown and saw the Christkindlmarket, which is a little German "village" set up in the middle of downtown with little shops that sell ornaments, fudge, German foods and many other little knick-knacks (http://www.christkindlmarket.com/en/). Even though it was the middle of the day, we decided to drink some gluhwein, which is a hot spiced wine that came in a little Christkindlmarket ceramic boot. Delicious stuff, gluhwein, especially on a cold day. After that, we did a little bit of major sightseeing (Willis Tower, the JW Marriott I work at, and the Chicago River).

Christkindlmarket, in the middle of dowtown

Once we were over the downtown scene, we headed back to my apartment, set Kayla's stuff in my room, and were off again without missing a beat. We ate lunch at a little restaurant called Vines next to Wrigley Field to get ready for our grand adventure for the day (and my favorite part of the entire trip): the Home Alone house.

Wrigley Field

Every part of this little adventure to Winnetka, Illinois was enjoyable. It was my first time riding the Metra (the trains that run to suburbs and cities outside of Chicago, and actually runs all the way to Wisconsin) and it was much different than the city trains, and more like the Amtrak I rode from Fort Worth to Austin. Once we arrived in Winnetka, we saw the train station we believe to be part of the movie (but we weren't positive). We then walked past the little downtown area and onto Lincoln Ave., where the house is located.



Me and Kayla at the Home Alone house


Seeing the house was like meeting a celebrity. We had both seen it over and over in the movies since we were little and now here it was in front of us. Let's just say it was amazing. It was a little smaller than I had imagined, but it was just as awesome. A couple other groups were taking pictures so we got some good pictures together in front of it, which was the most important part (the proof, you might say).

We ended the night at a couple of my favorite bars that I thought I would show Kayla, just so she would know where the coolest spots to hang out are. Bed was a welcome relief, however, after a long day of exploring.

December 18 (Sunday)

Sunday began with brunch (a Chicago tradition) at a little diner I like to go to called Stella's. We ate a delicious meal of french toast and eggs and headed out for a day full of fun and sightseeing.

Our first major stop was Navy Pier, which was packed full of people, despite the chill in the air and the wind coming off of the lake. It was just as fun as I remembered it though, and we quickly got on (and regretted) the Ferris Wheel that the Navy Pier is known for. It offered some amazing views of the city, but the wind was crazy and our little Ferris-Wheel-cart-thing was rocking ridiculously, however many feet above the pier and the lake surrounding it.

Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier

At the top

After our near-death experience and some candy shopping, we hopped on a bus to Millennium Park. It was my first time visiting, and we saw all the toursity things I hadn't seen before. The ice rink lit up at night, the amazing sculpture that encompasses the main stage of the auditorium, the famous Bean and these weird video faces projected onto large rock-like sculptures. I can't believe it took me that long to see some of the most famous Chicago sights, but I'm glad it's finally happened.

The Bean at Millennium Park

Next (and last) on our stop was the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was much more crowded on this trip, mostly because of the Zoo Lights, which is amazing display of Christmas lights that they have every year that is still completely free to the public. We didn't see much in the way of animals, but the light displays covering every surface of the zoo made up for it. It really got me in the Christmas spirit, something that I had been needing for a while. This was probably my favorite thing of the day, because it was so nice to be outside in the cold, looking at lights and being surrounded by kids (and even parents) in awe of the show around them. Something about it just felt so much like Christmas.

Zoo Lights

Lincoln Park Zoo

December 19 (Monday)

Our Monday started off slow, as we ate breakfast around the house and had a little trouble getting up and going (or maybe it was just me). As soon as we were out, though, we headed way south and hit up one of the stops Kayla really wanted to see: U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox.

U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox

After arriving, we headed to the gift shop and found out from an employee that they weren't giving tours of the field, but there was a number we could call if we wanted to take a quick peek inside and snap some photos. And so it was! Kayla called the number, we found the office, and soon enough we were standing right behind home plate (but don't step on the grass, please). We got an amazing photo opportunity and left, feeling accomplished for taking the extra step to get the pictures Kayla wanted.

Kayla inside U.S. Cellular

We then went further south, to the University of Chicago, because that's where I had stayed last summer on my trip to Chicago. Not only was I eager to see the campus again and relive my first memories of the city, I thought the castle-like buildings would have a cool impact on Kayla, considering our college campus nearly resembled that of a high school.

The University of Chicago

It was just as cool as I remembered. I saw all the places we visited last summer, and it brought back memories of Sarah, Preston and Emily, some of my best friends that I helped form my opinion of Chicago as a city and as a place to live. It was kind of sad, in a way, just because I realized how far away I am from everyone, and how far we've all come in our lives. I can't say, however, that Kayla had such mixed emotions about the campus, but I think she thought the buildings were cool, which was kinda what I was hoping for.

Our night ended in a mix between the last two, a little bit of bar, but mostly a tired couple of sightseers. After a couple drinks we headed home for the night, wondering what the next day had in store.

December 20 (Tuesday)

Not that much, it turns out. We got up earlier than usual because Kayla had to leave by 4 to get to the airport, but after breakfast and lunch, there wasn't much time left in the day. We tried to redo our White Sox experience at Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs), but to no avail. Due to construction inside the field, they weren't allowing any visitors.

And that's essentially where this story, and Kayla's visit, ends. I had a great time with her and it was so nice to finally see a familiar face, and some of Chicago's treasures that I hadn't seen yet. After such an amazing trip, there was only one thing left to do... get ready to do it all over again with my mom and brothers in a week.

Holy Name, a cathedral we stopped in at downtown.