Chi-Town

I pretty much love the city. I think that my facination and appreciation for the city grew after the time that I lived there and had the opportunity to see so many different parts of this very diverse city. My thinking as of this moment, is that I HAVE to move there very soon. There are dreams of a condo in Hyde Park, riding the #6 into the city, walking to an office in the snow, and coming up to Lake Geneva on the weekends.

I love the hustle and bustle of the early morning commute. The thousands of places to pick up a coffee on your way into the office (Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut coffee can not be beat). The people watching is phenomenal. And the fact that I would actually have friends near-by would be wonderful.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending a grant-writing workshop to sharpen my skills on proposal writing. It was a good class, although lengthy. I learned a lot about strategy of writing these proposals and how to do them well. At the end of the day, I actually walked out with a lot of ideas and motivation to do everything that we learned.

I walked the 20-some blocks to my hotel. In addition to the wheel of my suitcase breaking, I ended up with some huge blisters on the back of my feet. That’s okay, because I had a nice room at the Hyatt with the most amazing bed that I had seen in my life.

I checked in, got settled and went for a brisk walk along Michigan Ave. Strolled into Eddie Bauer and fantasized about everything that I wanted to complete my fall/winter wardrobe. Stopping in the Walgreens to buy what I needed for a luxurious bathroom routine later in the evening. I had big plans to go out for dinner, but that never happened. Instead, I grabbed some popcorn and a 22oz Fat Tire Beer and headed back to my room to make some phone calls and shave my legs.

I was fortunate to talk to all of my wonderful friends, including one that I hadn’t talked to in a very long time. After drinking my 22 oz of my favorite beer, I called up an old-college friend and he agreed to come meet me. While I waited, I got to work on my grant proposal and I did the best work, probably because I was slightly buzzed.

We met up and albeit awkward, it was an interesting evening filled with beer and conversation and reminiscing about Beloit  and all the people that we knew. Something that I miss from my college days. And let me just tell you that bed was damn comfortable.

The next morning, I walked in the bitterly, cold to the nearest Dunkin Donuts for my well-deserved coffee. And headed off to the airport.

I honestly, can’t wait until we move to Chicago and it better happen very soon or else I might go crazy!!!!