March Books

I am continuing to hit my goal of reading at least 3 books per month while hubby is away - this month it was 4! Here's my little rundown:

1. Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

This was definitely the book version of a chick flick, which is what I was expecting for sure, and I definitely enjoyed it on that level. It's also the first Emily Giffin book I've read. It's about a woman who finds the perfect guy, they agree on their premise of never having children, he changes his mind at some point, and conflict ensues. I liked the writing style and found myself chuckling, but ultimately I think the plot felt a little too contrived - as though I would have appreciated it more in a movie than a book, perhaps. It was a fun and frothy read, and I will probably try more books by Giffin in the future, but not quite yet.

2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

This is one of two books I read this month because I heard they were being made into movies (and I wanted to read the books before seeing the movies). This one centers on a 9-year-old boy dealing with the aftermath of his father's death on 9/11. It had a quirky and zany narration style, and while I was interested in the plot, I think the narration just threw me off a bit and compromised me absolutely loving this book. Interestingly, Foer is married to Nicole Krauss, author of The History of Love, which I have also read. She uses some interesting narration quirks too, and I feel like in the end my opinion of both books was the same - interesting, didn't hate them, but couldn't quite love them either.

3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Reese Witherspoon will be in this movie, and since I love her I knew I'd want to see it! I really enjoyed this book - the return to traditional narration style was welcome after Extremely Loud, and the book kept me absorbed the whole time. It reminded me of Moulin Rouge in a few ways, but that's not bad in and of itself. I liked this one a lot and I'm glad I read it!

4. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

This was my non-fiction selection for the month, and I just finished it today. Sort of like Freakonomics, it settles in the realm of behavioral economics, which I find fascinating. The premise is that while traditional economics assumes people/consumers will always act in their rational best interests, numerous phenomena show that's not the case. I read with great interest and really enjoyed Ariely's accounts of all his experiments and the conclusions he made based on them. I feel like you probably know if this type of thing is up your alley - if it is, I definitely recommend it! It makes you step back and think, but it's written specifically in the "popular" rather than "academic" style, and for me that made it fun to read!

Next up on the list, probably to start tonight, is From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, which is Pioneer Woman's account of her romance with her hubby, "Marlboro Man." As you know if you read my blog, I love PW's recipes, but I love reading about her life as well. I started to read the series of blog posts about the romance, but I lost steam partway through, and it's very convenient for me that she published it in a book. I'm pumped I have it from the library.

Also, I believe my Kindle may have arrived today, but I wasn't in my apartment, they left it in the office, and the office was closed when I got home. I should be able to get it tomorrow morning though, which I anticipate eagerly! Of course, maybe it was something else, all I know is I got a package!

As always, please share any books you've read recently and recommend, or what you are thinking of reading next. I love to get thoughts on books!

More Travels, and a Year Older

That's right, I've aged, in the sense that my age is a number higher because my birthday was yesterday! I've been MIA for the last week because I went on another trip, this time to DC, to reunite with college friends in our college city. Boy, was it good to be back and spend time with them! Plus, you all know how I love to eat, and there was plenty of eating going on!

I don't have the energy to do a full out description of the weekend, but here are some memories: going back to our favorite classic restaurant at our school, sitting around watching Gilmore Girls and eating and talking, walking around at a lovely market in town, seeing the cherry blossoms (!!!), eating brunch twice, eating delicious cake, going out to do karaoke, eating cupcakes (see a theme?), taking a walk down memory lane at our school, and finally eating Ethiopian food in town! It was so good to be back in the city that feels so much like home, with so many of the good friends I made there. Here are some photos to share the weekend in visual form -

  At our classic hangout

 My very favorite dish at our classic hangout - the SW Chicken Salad. Mmmm, food memories!

 Happiness

 

Jumping pictures are a tradition. I am always behind the camera, mastering the timing. :-) 

 Six of us under some cherry blossoms!

Classic. 

Not one, but two cakes - lest there not be enough (gasp!). They were as delicious as they look!

Karaoke. Clearly I feel the thing to do is insert a few sassy hand moves.

Our Ethiopian spread! Don't worry, this was split among four of us. :-)

Yesterday (Monday) was my birthday! Most people had left town, and I myself did half of my roadtrip back yesterday, but there were plenty of presents over the weekend, and as I mentioned, lots of baked goods. I was staying with M last night because she lives at a halfway point for my drive, and I had a really nice evening with her. We went to a tapas-style place with amazing food, and it felt really special. We ate a cheese plate with fancy chutneys, a little delicious salad, fancy falafel, edamame soup with leeks and Chinese sausage, and yummy mussels in a coconut milk/green curry sauce! My foodie self was so very happy! We also each got a flight of three wines to try, and we had an amazing dessert - skillet pear cake with salt caramel and AVOCADO ICE CREAM! Sorry, I'm just enthusiastic, as you can tell. It was delicious and different and wonderful!

My family and friends were more than generous, as were my Fbook friends with the wall messages. The only thing missing, of course, was hubby, but I know I can look forward to a belated celebration with him in the future. Probably my favorite gift? I don't have it yet, but I know it's on its way, and it's something I have been not-so-secretly hoping for for the last couple of months. In a matter of days, I will be receiving one of these babies to call my very own:

That's right, I am getting a Kindle, thanks to Mom and Dad! Of course, my expenditure on books may go up a bit, but it's rare for me to get new toys like this, and I'm super excited. I may also get a newspaper subscription for the Kindle, which would be fun as well! This was also just one of many wonderful gifts, and I know I am a very lucky girl!

It was really nice to return to my college home and have a blast for the weekend, and sneak in a bonus visit with M along the way. It felt like I got to truly do some special fun things that I love for my birthday, and for that I am very grateful. I am glad to get back to my bed and my home, I'm looking forward to playing with my Kindle when it arrives, and that's pretty much how life has been! This new age doesn't really feel different of course, but I did feel very loved yesterday. What more can a girl ask for?

1/3 Done!

As of today, I have officially completed 3 weeks of C25K, so go me! I was relieved that today's workout (Day 3 of Week 3) was definitely easier than the first two days of this week, which hopefully bodes well for next week - I've heard that Week 4 can feel pretty tough, but I've just got to keep on going. Also, a friend of mine offered to run a 5K with me since I don't know when hubby would be able to for sure, but since she's moving in the middle of May I'd have to move up my inaugural effort. It wouldn't let me practice as much after I finish the actual C25K program, but at the same time, it would probably feel good to get out there and know I for sure have someone to do it with!

Feeling proud of myself and just hoping to keep up my motivation!

Delicious

Well, Giada has given me yet another reason to love her, and this time it's a recipe called Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese. Also in the recipe, if not the title, are walnuts, basil, and parmesan cheese. All sorts of Giada's recipes are delicious, but the ones that truly hit home for me are the ones where she finds a wonderful new blend of flavors to put with pasta and tells me how to make it taste amazing, and this one falls squarely into that category. H came over to be my guinea pig for yet another recipe, and we both agreed it was a winner. It's definitely going to stay in my recipe book!

And maybe next time I will actually take photos. :-)

Positives

I have definitely come a long way since last week when I was at a pretty low emotional point after getting hubby's latest news. We've had some good phone time this week, and though the situation is still less than ideal, I'm glad I've come to a more positive place because I don't want to be miserable all the time, that's for sure.

I busted out one of my cute new tops today for Day 1 of Week 3 of C25K! Today the longest running interval increased from 90 seconds to 3 minutes, and I'm happy to say it wasn't too killer at all! The second one was maybe a bit harder than the first 3-min interval, but once again the podcast really helped and I just stared straight ahead and tried to get into the music without thinking about how much time was left in the interval. I just have to keep believing in my body's ability to meet every new challenge. It's really amazing to think of myself running for 20-30 minutes at a time, but that is indeed what I'm working up to!

I also realized that my uncle-in-law has been doing C25K (he's a lot further along than me) and even my mama did the first workout! It's fun to connect with other people who have tried it for sure.

That's about all I've got for now. My college team is currently losing in the first round of the NCAA, which is sad. I just wanted them to do well!

In happier news, I'm having a few people over for dinner tomorrow night and I think it should be fun! On the menu - beef tacos. I'm sure I'll share the results afterward. :-)

C25K and Retail Therapy

I don't think of myself as a huge shopper, and I generally am reasonable and stick to a pretty good clothing budget, but I think that hubby's training has made me into more of a shopper than usual. Between the fact that it's such a good activity to do with girlfriends, and the fact that I allow myself to think I "deserve" cheering up, it ends up escalating a bit. But only a bit - and I think I make pretty good decisions, so in the end I am not wrestling that much guilt.

If you'll allow me to share, I got a new dress I'm really excited about that looks like this - 

It's a great silhouette for my shape, and I think I can dress it up for things like date nights and also make it appropriate for professional situations. I'm a fan!

At the same store (NY&C) I also got a super cute top that looks like this -

I finally found some dress pants after looking around a bunch of places for them, so that was good too.

But how does this connect to C25K? Well, I figured after completing two weeks (yay!) I could probably allow myself to buy a little bit more cute workout wear since I've been doing it even more often these days. In particular I was in the market for active wear tanks, because I only have one (which is white) and all of my T-shirts are a little big on me, so it doesn't exactly lead to feeling cute, and I want to feel cuter darn it! Courtesy of Old N*vy, I got the following items:

Now of course I can't wait to rock my new stuff throughout my next few workouts!

Oh, and as far as the other stuff like how I'm feeling - overall pretty good after completing this week. During yesterday's workout I had some side cramping going on, but it was at its worst in the middle of the workout and luckily it died down a little, though it didn't go totally away until I was done running. I am just hoping that as the running intervals get longer, I can trust my body to be able to do it and not get too much in my head over running more and more all at once. Also, I'm still loving the podcasts I downloaded, and I think my running shoes are working out well. That's the update! At this point it would be a big disappointment if I don't see it through all 9 weeks, so I'm going to do everything in my power to get there, and I know I'll feel really good about myself when I do.

Mixed Bag

Starting off with a reality check/keeping it real moment - I didn't get the news I wanted on Friday night (meaning hubby didn't get the news HE wanted regarding his training). Things could be worse of course, and he is safe and able to rest this week, but the training is dragging out longer than either of us expected. I have had my share of emotional struggles (because I miss the guy!) but I don't really want to discuss them at length here, for two reasons, which are mainly the fact that I've rehashed plenty already and rehashing usually makes me feel worse, and the fact that this is my blog out here for anyone to read, and that no doubt makes me filter what I say. I do however want to acknowledge that there are some emotional challenges I've been dealing with, before going onto the more frivolous things I really want to focus on here in this post, the things that keep me going day to day while the other big stuff is going as it wants to go.

What type of frivolous things are going into this post? Food of course! It's been too long since I went on and on about what's been going on in my kitchen and what I'm excited about trying next.

I really haven't been menu planning in quite the same way lately. Every week before I go to the store, my main goals are to buy less than 20 items so I can go through the express line, and to buy/make foods and snacks that are interesting and tasty but allow me to easily meet my eating goals (get plenty of protein, certain numbers of things, fiber and whole grains, etc etc). I also try to eat fish or seafood about once a week, depending what is on sale. Lately I have started making some things repeatedly, which I never used to do before, but I've found some keeper, simple, tasty recipes for when I need a good easy go-to meal. The main ones I'm currently thinking of are PW's Pan-Fried Pork Chop and this Lemony Chicken Milanese. Here's a photo of my chicken (with a side of roasted broccoli) from last night, just as a sampler of how I've been eating lately:

And looking forward? I am excited to try out Baked Kale Chips with a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen, and a yummy looking pasta recipe by Giada (who I love, in case I haven't mentioned it yet) - Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese.

I do look forward to baking more again, there's all sorts of desserts I want to try, and to more decadent pasta dishes and things like that, but I'm doing really well working toward my goals right now, so I am just filtering the recipes I am trying for now, and leaving others for later. Plus, I will be able to share more of those desserts and stuff with hubby if I put it off. :-)

Speaking of goals, I'll have to update more on C25K soon. (Spoiler alert: I'm still doing it! Tomorrow is Week 2 Day 3!)

A List

A list of what? Of a few not totally related things that I want to put in one post. :-)

1. I started Week 2 of C25K today! So far, so good. I was nervous for today's workout for a couple reasons - one, I think I am feeling the slight ouch of a possible shin splint in my right leg (I did run cross country in middle school, so I've heard of them and all). It's certainly not bad enough to keep me from running, I just don't want it to get worse. Anyone have any advice?

The other reason I was nervous is I thought I'd be going to 90 sec run/60 sec walk intervals today. I found out using my playlist that I was mistaken - it is 90 sec run intervals, but 2 minutes of walking! So in that sense, it was easier than I thought. It was a step up to run for 90 instead of 60 seconds, but it was definitely doable! I said this already, but I really love the fact that the podcast I downloaded prompts me for the intervals, so I don't have to pay as much attention to the clock as before. Again, so far, so good, and I am glad I still was motivated to do my workout despite having an unusually full day of volunteering and also baby-sitting.

2. A friend of ours from our hometown (hubby and myself) came into town yesterday to do training here. I was able to help him out with some logistical stuff and drop him off this morning, and hopefully we'll be getting to hang out on the weekends some while he's here. It's so nice to have connections from our hometown and be able to see them thanks to the military!

3. I am currently in nervous-waiting-for-a-phone-call mode - should get news about hubby's status in training any moment now - or maybe not for an hour or more. I do know of at least one other wife in my position who got her call, so I am staring at my phone, feeling nervous. Hoping for good news, and I think I am cautiously optimistic, but I am trying to prepare for worse news as well. It would definitely be a blow, but it's one we'll get through even if it happens. I just keep trying to remind myself of that! Right now I am too nervous and not hungry enough to make dinner... it will happen eventually, but for whatever reason I just don't feel like it yet!

That's about how life is for me right now. Just keeping on keeping on, but tonight will be a turning point one way or the other for hubby's training!

More C25K...

I'm really glad I've had my fitness and nutrition goals to focus on lately, I feel like they are driving me forward day to day in the face of all the uncertainty over when hubby's training will truly be over.

This past Sunday, I did my second workout. I would definitely say it went better than the first as far as how I felt, and it was just good to be continuing. That same day, I downloaded some podcasts to use in future workouts, which supply a playlist and also tell you when to walk and run. I think it will add an extra fun element and allow me to stop paying as much attention to the clock for my intervals.

Also, I bought some running shoes today! I really only felt like I needed pretty basic ones, so I tried to stick with that, but I also got some inserts that the sales guy pitched (among other things). I was just glad to escape before I spent too much money. :-) I will try them out tomorrow in my Week 1, Day 3 workout, along with the first podcast. Once tomorrow's workout is done, I will be done with week 1 and 1/9 of the way done with the program.

These are the shoes I ended up with - the price was right, and really all I wanted was a designated running shoe - no other bells and whistles. I also like the color scheme, it reminds me of a lovely place where I spent the years 2006-2010. :-)

Meanwhile, I'm considering signing up for a 5K (or at least I've identified a potential target), and I know a couple other girlfriends (the ones who already run) have signed up for half marathons, so there are all sorts of exciting goals going on!

Happy Tummy

So, I don't want to brag, but I just made a really delicious sandwich for lunch. If you are not a vegetarian, like avocado, and like bacon, I highly recommend you try it. I didn't take any pictures (I was too eager to eat of course) but I will quickly share the "recipe" if you can call it that.

"BAT" Sandwich (It's like a BLT with avocado instead of lettuce...)

2 slices of bread (I used whole wheat)
2 slices of bacon
1/2 avocado, sliced
3 slices of tomato
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Toast bread. Fry bacon slices on the stove.

Spread mustard on the bread, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pile tomato slices, avocado, and bacon on bread. Enjoy!

As you can tell, I'm quite pleased with myself. Once again, it's the little things in life!

February Books

I spent a lot of February finishing the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson. I'll write a blurb for them, but they were thrillers in a pretty unique way!

1. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

I am definitely a Nicholas Sparks fan, and I enjoy a good dose of his style every now and then.  I don't want to give too much away about this book, but aside from obviously having the romantic element, there was a certain amount of suspense, particularly toward the end, that had me staying up later to read and get to the conclusion. If you have read Nicholas Sparks before, you probably know whether he's for you or not, but that being said, I really enjoyed this one!

2 and 3. The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

These books are dark, violent, and thrilling. Even more so than their predecessor (Dragon Tattoo) they keep one engrossed for hours. Larsson does a really good job of weaving all his story threads together, leaving off at certain moments that will of course then keep you reading. I also enjoy the way there's all these puzzle pieces that slowly click together as you get toward the end. I'm glad I read these books and I would definitely recommend them!


4. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler

It was good to switch gears and do some non-fiction at the end of this month. I technically finished this book in March, but I started it in February so there it will go. I really found this book fascinating, useful, and insightful. Especially since I am in a time when I'm being relatively careful about what I eat, the advice and the science felt very relevant (though they are relevant to anyone who eats, aka everyone). In a nutshell, Kessler addresses the types of factors that can lead us to keep eating sweets and fat- and salt-laden foods, even when we know we don't need them or possibly even want them. He talks about what goes on in the brain through a series of examinations, and discussions of studies. He also addresses the food industry side (both processed foods and restaurants, especially chains). In a similar fashion to In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, this book inspired me to continue focusing on produce and other basic foods, to keep cooking in the kitchen at home, and to continue making going out to eat a sometimes thing. I am also hoping that having read about the physical and mental processes related to overeating will help me to maintain even better self-control when I want to. Sorry to go on so much, I guess I had a lot to say about this particular one!

So far I am definitely sticking to my goal of reading at least three books per month while hubby is gone (5 in January and 4 in February). The total number, 9, is rapidly approaching the number of books I read for pleasure (not school) in 2010 (11). Crazy! Makes me feel good though. There are so many books out there and I really love using my current free time to read them.

I'll put this out there again - any recommendations or books you all are planning to read soon?

C25K Update

Well, I actually ended up starting C25K with the first Week 1 workout yesterday - I had time and I was eager to start. Overall, I'd say it went well, but there are a couple adjustments I'll make for the future -

1. I think I can and should get running shoes for myself. Yesterday I ran on my regular old sneakers that are probably a couple years old, and my feet hurt just a little bit. One of the websites I read mentioned the importance of running shoes, so I'll go ahead and see what I can find.

2. When I go on the treadmill here at the apt, I will drink a lot more water beforehand since I found it difficult to hydrate during the workout - the holders for the bottle were angled weird, and when I ran the water bottle made a noise because of the movement of the machine. I survived fine, but next time I'll just be extra hydrated in advance.

Overall though, the first workout was good! As far as running goes, it of course was very manageable - 5 minutes of walking both to warm up and cool down, and 20 minutes of running/walking intervals, running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds. The next two workouts are exactly the same, probably just continuing to get the body used to this new running thing! Now I know that my C25K weeks will start on Friday, since that was the day of my first workout. I think I'll get the next two workouts in hopefully on Sunday (tomorrow) and Tuesday.

There's the report I promised! In other news, I had a great spin workout this morning, followed by a bonus 20 minute ab workout and some yoga that I did here in the apt. It's a rainy one here today, so once I get a little cleaning done I am planning to settle in with a book and a cup of tea. Then this evening I get to go out with a couple of the girls - and we'll be eating Thai food! Yum! To just keep it real, I was in a little bit of a funk last night. If things had gone totally smoothly, hubby would have gotten home from his training yesterday, but since it's prolonged it's at least another 4 weeks or so, and could be more. I'm normally pretty good at relishing all the little things I do for myself, but last night after I finished a DVD I just felt a little lonely I think. It happens! Today I feel better, something that is probably aided by all those endorphins I had going on after my workout. I'm also rededicating myself to tracking my food and exercising a lot, and those things feel good too.

Wow, rambly last paragraph, oh well. Hope everyone is doing well today!

A New Fitness Challenge?

First off, regarding fitness, two positive things from the past week or so - I did work out while in Chicago, in the workout room at KT's apartment complex. (KT herself, and for that matter many of my friends, are very healthy people who work out on a regular basis.) Other positive thing - I got back into fitness classes today by attending spin and yoga, and it felt great as always!

So, onto the new challenge I am pondering. While in Chicago, I talked about running quite a bit with KT and Kristen, since they both love it so much. KT doesn't live far from Lake Shore Drive, and it sounds like she has some truly exhilarating and wonderful runs. Kristen always talks about getting runner's high as well. I, on the other hand, define myself as being someone who doesn't run (or also you could say, doesn't LIKE running). Even though hubby constantly sings its praises as one of the very best forms of exercise there is ("All you need is shoes, you can do it anywhere!") and I don't doubt it, I have just never gotten into it, never gotten to like it, and therefore I've been sticking primarily with the things I like enough to continue enthusiastically, which currently include spinning, yoga, other fitness classes, and the elliptical when I just want a regular old cardio machine.

This is turning out long-winded, but just bear with me. When we were talking about running one night, AN brought up a program called "Couch to 5K" (aka C25K) that is designed for non-runners to get them running in a 9-week period. I'd also seen reference to it by Jenna at That Wife, though I never investigated enough to really learn about it. As you have probably guessed by now, I think I may take a stab at this thing. I feel great about where I am, but one of the greatest things about fitness is continuing to push oneself to a new goal, something they didn't think they could do. The brutal truth is that I am not even confident in my ability to run one mile right now, and of course that is something that makes me feel like I can't truly declare myself to be "in shape." A lot of my milspouse friends also love to do 5K's and things like that, but on the occasions I am invited I have declined (and would anticipate doing so in the future at my current fitness level).

So, here is this program staring me in the face. Hubby will be gone at least one more month, so I have some time and mental energy to devote, and I am continuing in my weight loss efforts as well, so this would all be mutually supportive of various goals. The program involves three workouts per week of about 30 minutes or so, if I have understood correctly. My hope is that I can continue the majority of my current regimen (spin 1-2 times per week, with another fitness class thrown in, and yoga on a pretty regular basis). I am trying not to underestimate that I could run into walls at moments, but more than anything it's kind of cool to think that I could work myself up to being able to actually run a 5K and feel a bit more like someone who can run, even if it still isn't my favorite thing.

I guess more traditionally C25K is a smart phone app, however I am not fancy enough to have a smart phone yet. However, I found a link that breaks the programs down the way you'd do them on a treadmill, so my plan is to use that approach. I have access to a treadmill both here at the apt complex and at the gym, so that seems promising for sure. I am planning to do the "Week 1 Day 1" workout this Saturday, so I'll update here. I am hoping that I can keep some accountability and make it harder to give up if I keep posting about it!

Some links if you want more info:
http://www.c25k.com/
Treadmill version is here

How about you all? Anyone tried C25K? Anyone tackling any new fitness challenges these days? It bears repeating here that I LOVE comments, so don't be shy. :-)

I'm Back!

Oh blog, how I have missed you! I have a lot to share (including February books and a new workout adventure I'm thinking about), but I thought I'd start by sharing some photos from my trip to Chicago! The original impetus was to visit KT (she goes to med school there), since I hadn't seen her since my wedding and because I'd never been to Chicago and wanted to visit. Then we found out that AN had the same break from school, and Kristen decided to come along, and a reunion of some of my best college girlfriends was born! I just got back a couple hours ago, and honestly I don't feel like writing out much more narrative, so I'm going to mostly use photos to share the rest of the story. Suffice it to say it was wonderful to see a new city and spend time with some of my best girlfriends!

 You had to know there were going to be food pictures... I started my trip off with some deep dish!

 And the next night, we went out for Greek food and I got yummy shrimp with feta and a tomato sauce

 Three of us near the Bean

 Swapped out photographers :-)

 The Bean itself 

 At our cute little (and DELICIOUS) French dinner

 Brunch - crepes filled with eggs, cheese, avocado, mushrooms, plus breakfast potatoes. YUM!

 KT outside the adorable bakery where we purchased some amazing cupcakes!

 Hot chocolate stop

 My hot chocolate!

 The "natives"

 The tourists. Please excuse my footwear. It was either sneakers or lots of whining and feet hurting.

 Looking back on the city from Navy Pier

On the last night (which was last night actually) we went to a lounge on the top of the Hancock Tower and enjoyed the view - it was the perfect way to end the trip!

That's at least some of the highlights in pictures! I was so happy to finally visit Chicago (aside from changing planes...) and seeing my friends made it that much sweeter. I'm definitely a lucky girl.