Mawidge
Mawidge.
Mawidge is what brings us together…
In NAPA…
Today.
Congratulations to my good friend, Julie (or, Mrs. Schirm, I should say!), and her new husband (gasp!), John.
Sometimes you just need a sunroom
You know?
Summer in the city
Chicago summers are much-anticipated and much-adored. Every restaurant puts out patio furniture, dog bowls filled with water line the streets for pups to refresh themselves, and bike riders come out in droves.
People darn near wax poetic about it:
“The winters here are disgusting…
But the summers make it all worth while.”
Well, everyone seems to be right. Chicago summers live up to the hype.
Good grief!
Oh my goodness. My first year of graduate school at Northwestern has just sped on by and I’ve been neglecting this little depository of words.
Not that anybody reads this thing, but… you get the idea.
Perhaps this little snapshot gives you, well, a snapshot into what my life has been like lately.
That is to say, painful… with a side of yoga.
Anyway, if you need some marriage and/or family therapy, I’m one year away from being able to legit charge you money for that crap!
Northwestern
I’m about to start school at Northwestern!
We’ve had a zillion orientation days, done about 500 ice-breaker exercises, and really had a great time. I adore my cohort (all 21 of them!) and feel like I am going to love this program. The university is beautiful, as you can see.
Hope to be back soon to catch you up on news and keep you posted about everything going on in my zany life!
And… we all know it’s all about Penny, so here you go…
I mean…
Hi, my name is Rachel…
… and I’m addicted to the Rick Bayless Mexican Mix of granola from Milk and Honey.
Ok, where do I start?
First, of course, the company name. The synchronicity isn’t lost on me!
Second, it’s a Chicago company, so score #2 for this stuff.
Third, fellow Chicagoan, Rick Bayless. Need I say more?
Lastly, it’s completely delicious. I’m hoarding it like one of those troubled people on TLC. I have this fear that Whole Foods will stop carrying it, so every single time I go to the store, I buy not one, but like 4 bags of this stuff.
I’m actually shaking my head as I write this.
But, how often do you find a food that you absolutely love? Have any of you tried this stuff?
Please tell me I’m not the only one that has a food addiction that they can’t control!
The fabric of the city
Oh my goodness, the past few weeks have been a delightful whirlwind! I think the best way I can describe what I’ve been up to is this: I’m becoming a part of the fabric of the city.
Jacob and I were strolling along Lake Shore Drive on a pedestrian walkway over the river when it hit me. In just a handful of weeks, I’ve fallen madly in love with Chicago. I feel like a piece of what makes this city buzz with energy. I’m constantly going here and there; I’m navigating through a new life in the backdrop of this fantastic place.
I wish I could share with you all the pictures of all I’ve done, but it’d honestly take up way too much space! But… the highlights include Jacob coming in mid-week to celebrate a friend’s birthday with an 11-course tasting at our favorite restaurant, Blackbird (our second meal there in 2 weeks!) — going downtown multiple times a week to wander, meet my nephew for lunch, and even help a friend try on wedding dresses (!!) — finding my way to The Shedd Aquarium with an old (and a new!) friend and some of the best views of the city — being in awe of Anish Kapoor’s genius at Cloud Gate — basking in the cool drops of The Crown Fountain at Millennium Park with Jacob — celebrating our 2nd anniversary with a hotel and night out downtown — and then waking up joining the tens of thousands on the lakefront to watch the aerialists fly planes in twisty patterns across the sky for the Air and Water Show.
And then, the little things, like the sound of the train rushing into the station and the feeling of racing up the steps to catch it, are also climbing the charts of things that make me love it here.
Even though Jacob’s not always here to enjoy it with me, a small part of me thinks that going it alone and diving in head first has been what’s made this experience so fun. It’s been lovely, exhilarating, and fabulous, and I really can’t wait to share even more with you as our summer comes to a close.
And, of course, Penny has been thoroughly loving it here, too… especially all the new toys her grandma gives her.
Solitary
Now that I’m back in Chicago and sans Jacob, life feels different.
Duh.
I haven’t lived by myself in 4 years! On top of that, I’m playing single mama to sweet Penny, so my whole qi is thrown off.
Not to worry though. I’ve been honoring the solitude I’ve been given and am finding ways to occupy myself. I mean, how many people have about 2 months of basically total free time?! Correction, how many people have this by choice? (I realize that in our current economical climate, free time isn’t always a good thing.)
Reading is a nice “plus” when you have some extra time on your hands. Lucky for me, I picked the most badass graduate program – obviously illustrated by the fact that they assigned us one of my recent favorite reads for us to finish over the summer. I’ve read it before, but I’m re-reading it again, this time with a more critical eye. I sill love it. Have you read it? What did you think?
When Jacob’s not around, I also like to eat french fries (from Cross Rhodes… aka the best Greek restaurant this side of the Atlantic) out of a paper bag while sitting at my dressing table and plucking my eyebrows. Actually, it’s disgusting, what the the greasy finger issue and all, but I can’t help myself.
I have no reason to share this picture with you other than that it’s a great shot of my hair 😉 Actually, this was taken by my absolutely fantastic nephew, who surprised me by showing up the night I came back from South Bend (my first night alone!) to hang out with me. He’s the one who let me eat all of his yummy french fries. Isn’t that sweet?
I’ve also discovered a new love for my dear Penny Lane. She loves playing in the garden, splashing in the pond, and scampering around sniffing all the nooks and crannies. We all think she looks beautiful against the greenery of the garden.
She’s a true companion, never far from my side. I sometimes wonder how people get on in life without a dog.
And so, it’s different without Jacob being around to keep me company all the time. I feel lonely sometimes. But I also feel grateful for being able to experience this city by myself for a while. Chicago can feel so vast at times, and I often feel lost in the hectic pace. This feeling, though, is a challenge for me, but a very good one. I try to wake up in the morning and, instead of giving in to that sense of being lost, I force myself to be involved. To just get in the car or on my bike (pictures to come of my awesome, vintage road bike soon!) and push through the traffic, the crowds, the craziness. Be involved.
I hope the solitariness of my life continues to give way to more and more involvement. I also hope to keep sharing with you pictures and stories of my life in the city and beyond! Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading 🙂
P.S. I’m also considering a name-change for this blog. With everything else changing in my life, I felt like my blog could stand a bit of a make-over itself. If any of you (whoever you are, if there are even any of you!) out there have thoughts on this, let me know!
Life in South Bend
This past week, Jacob and I have been settling into life in South Bend, Indiana. Yesterday was Jacob’s first day (!) on internship at Notre Dame, and I think he’s really happy. I must say, his building and office on campus are absolutely stunning. He has a view of the gold dome from his office window, and he can’t stop talking about how great the single-serve coffee makers are that they have all over his office. So cute.
It was actually really fun to set up the apartment here in Indiana. It’s a great, open and airy space that’s just right for what we need.
The kitchen is somewhat smaller than what we had in Ohio, but luckily the space was perfect for us to create some open, industrial-looking shelving for things like kitchen appliances, bakeware, barware, cookbooks, and fun serving pieces. Even though we’re not done setting it up, it’s one of my favorite spots in the entire place.
It was also fun to help Jacob prepare on Sunday night before his first day of work. I helped him pack his lunch, and I set out the French press so the morning coffee-making would be easy. We also sat on the bed and talked through what we were feeling as we began our new life and a new lifestyle. It was nice.
Jacob’s desk is in the bedroom here, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but it turns out I really enjoy because it means we can be together more — I hang out in the bed and he keeps his work centralized on his desk (unlike in Ohio, where he worked all over the place, which kind of didn’t work for me).
I feel somewhat more at home in South Bend, due to the fact that this area feels more like what I’m used to in Ohio and that most of my household stuff is here. Chicago is absolutely fabulous, don’t get me wrong. But it’s nice to feel like I have a place to come when I want to escape the urban life I live in Chicago. I can sleep in the bed I picked out when I’m here, cook with my kitchen stuff, and dive into my fluffy couch. As I said, South Bend isn’t the cultural epicenter that Chicago is, but it has it’s charms.
And, what post would be complete without the obligatory photo of our sweet Penny Lane? She’s been an absolute champ here and has proved to us that she’s really grown up. We are lucky in that our apartment complex has a dog park only 50 feet out our door, which Penny adores. She carries her own tennis ball in her mouth on the walk to and from the park, which just tickles me to the core!
After only an hour in the new place here in South Bend, she found her spot on the couch and took a snooze. I think she also feels quite at home here!
Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys (whoever you are, if there are any of you!). Hope to do some more posts, especially before my program starts at Northwestern in September. I head back to Chicago tonight and officially start the year spent living between two cities. Sigh… I’m sure there will be a lot to tell you about and pictures to share.
In the mean time, be happy and be well!
from chicago, with love
It’s been too long.
I know, I know!
I’m sorry. Is anyone even still out there? If you are, then thanks.
But the silence is because we moved! To Chicago!! And it’s been so fun I hardly remembered to post!!!
Here are some pictures to update you on life in the Windy City. Written updates to follow, once I settle in even more…
My el stop.
The city.
Snazzy.
Tents at Cirque du Soliel. (Not-so-secret: I have always, always wanted to be an acrobat. I’ve already found trapeze lessons in Chicago and I’m just saving my pennies until I can swing it… Pun intended!)
Fleet Foxes (sigh!) at Pitchfork.
Sweaty, summer happiness at Pitchfork.
Tree in my park.
And, of course, deep Penny cuddles.
Milk + Honey 