almost to the end

in less than 48 short hours, i will be back in west michigan. the thought is simultaneously thrilling, terrifying, and tear-inducing.

i cannot believe how quickly this semester flew by. my last semester in college, finished, seemingly as quick as it began. the first few weeks of uncertainty, the emotional roller coaster, all that teen-angst--this semester covered a lot of ground, personally and professionally. i learned a lot about myself, a lot about other people, and a lot about what i think it means to lead a fulfilling existence.

tomorrow is my last day of work in downtown chicago. i will sorely miss my co-workers, and i'm even more terrified knowing that i do not have a job lined up. if anyone wants to hire me, let me know! seriously, though. momma needs a job.

there are many old faces i'm looking forward to seeing again, but i will miss a good many people from this program. it's surprising how quickly friendships can be forged in close quarters and under stressful periods in one's life. i hope to maintain connections with some of my new-found friends; only time will tell, i suppose.

we'll see if there's time to update the blog again, but considering the fact that i'm moving out on saturday and have a great deal of packing to finish, don't hold your breath. give me a call sometime and we can catch up for real...very, very soon.

the end is fast approaching

i can hardly believe it, but in less than three weeks, i will be back in grand rapids. the thought is simultaneously delightful and terrifying.

i've been job searching on the internet a lot, and i feel like the prospects are few. combined with the stresses of school and work here in chicago, it is needless to say that i am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

i'll be making a six-hour visit to grand rapids on wednesday for honors convocation. i hate to skip class in chicago (especially since we will be going on a tour of neighborhoods that formerly housed the projects), but i really want to be there for my last time around. i've never been to one of these ceremonies before, and i am excited to get my medal!

the weather in chicago was lovely yesterday, and it almost makes up for the rain and chill of today. i would totally love for spring to make itself permanent...we are two thirds of the way through april.

there's a lot to get done before i move back, but i think it will all come together. most of all, i'm looking forward to all the lovely faces i left behind in the g-raps...(you all should know who you are).

meh.

yikes! my blogging absence probably has gone unnoticed, but i've been meaning to sit down and swap tales. sorry about that.

of course, sitting back and combing my brain for stories isn't very fruitful at the moment. st. patrick's day celebrations were great, as was partying for my sister's birthday last weekend. i turn the big 22 tomorrow, and that's been throwing me off for a bit. i've never really had a birthday away from all of "my" people, and the anticlimactic nature of celebrating just feels like a big let-down. i was so pleased that my parents came down yesterday to take me to lunch and have birthday cake. but in the end, birthdays just aren't what they used to be.

i'm very excited for cassie and stacey to be coming for a visit this weekend. i should probably do laundry before they arrive, or think of something grand to do that doesn't involve sitting on our asses all weekend.

and to the meteorologists in chicago: no, i did not ask for accumulating snows for my birthday. please clear this up. thanks.

museums and celebs

let much just say that i am very much looking forward to this weekend. my dearest krystle is coming down for a whirlwind trip, my parents will be in town, and a good friend of mine is turning 21...and yes, this weekend marks the unofficial beginning of st. patrick's day celebrations, and i am very, very excited about it all.

so i went to two different museums yesterday for my two classes. we first went to see the edvard munch exhibit at the art institute, and then we went to the mexican fine arts museum for my other class. lots of art, lots of milling about, lots of fun. steph and i also hung out last night, which is always a pleasure.

our art event tonight is our town at the lookingglass theatre. and yes, this means that i will get to watch david schwimmer (that's ross gellar of friends fame, in case we've forgotten) perform tonight.

i don't have to work tomorrow, which is also great...i'll get to sleep in a whole 45 minutes! we have our neighborhood visits tomorrow, so i'll be spending the first part of the day in logan square. my boss was nice enough to let me have the afternoon off too, so i'm looking forward to krystle's visit and the potential for many great things.

oh, and let the job hunt begin...

everybody's working for the weekend

it's been a great week.

first of all, let me just say that not having work on monday was the greatest thing ever. ever. a group of us went out to pilsen and had an amazing time stuffing ourselves at a mexican restaurant and then stuffing ourselves into vintage threads. yes, i am the proud owner of some new men's plaid.

we also watched both red dragon and silence of the lambs this week. i know that nobody else really understands the joy these movies bring me, but what can i say--i desensitized myself to the right flicks.

great times were had hanging out with my sister last night. i've been on a bodyguard kick as of late, and we splurged on the soundtrack. i'm sure her neighbors hate us (or probably just me).

the CS group is going to see a bulls game tonight. i actually don't give two cents about the game, but i figure the atmosphere will make up for my lack of interest...right?

domestic day

people who know me will get a real kick out of this--i actually bought groceries, washed dishes AND did laundry today...and did i mention that i woke up at six o'clock to see the sun rise (the one that never actually materialized)?

yes. i did laundry for the first time today. i hate paying for laundry; it's bad enough having to tote all your crap down to the laundry room to fight for washers and dryers, but then you have to pay money on top of it? i'll wear everything a hundred times to put this off for as long as possible.

so yeah, i skipped out on the mary kay breakfast. as it happens, one of my friends had almost the same experience i had, only hers was at a barnes & noble. i feel slightly bad, but not really at the same time. i have no desire to drive a pink cadillac.

tomorrow is pulaski day, and it marks one of our few days off from work. we're making a trip out to pilsen to eat cheap mexican food and go shopping at a vintage store. i'll keep you posted on any good finds.

homework sings my name, and there are more dishes waiting. i need a wife, i think.

fat thursday?

i rolled into the office this morning to find mardi gras beads and a bag of microwave popcorn on my desk. who says you can't celebrate fat tuesday a few days late? the celebration is appropriate considering i was in bed and asleep by 11 on the real fat tuesday. better late than never.

funny story: i went to a starbucks yesterday, and as i was waiting in line, a woman (i'm guessing late 20s) told me that she liked my purse. we struck up a conversation about the glory of target, and then started talking about what i did, and what work she did. turns out she works for mary kay, a company i've been trying to contact about some work for my internship. she gave me her card and took my number before asking me if i was free this evening. since i wasn't, she wondered if i wanted to meet for breakfast on saturday--apparently there's some corporate mary kay something or other going on at the hyatt regency downtown, and she wondered if i wanted to go and network or something. ten bucks says that they'll try and turn me into some mary kay seller, but it's a free breakfast. is this how networking really works, or i am signing on for a scam? i'll keep you posted.

i'm so excited that we have our first day off on monday. we're heading over to pilsen for some cheap mexican food and some thrifting. oh, and at some point i have to read a book (that i don't have) and write a 5 page paper by wednesday.

oh, the life of a student in chicago...

almost a month

how is it february 22 already?

apparently i've been here for almost a month and didn't even realize it. things are going well with work, and i like my classes too. we saw gokh-bi system at the old town school of folk last week. they are a hip-hip group from senegal, and the show was really fun. of course, getting home at 12:10 and having to wake up at 7 for work was less fun, but face it, i'm an old woman now.

the chicago semester sponsored a progressive dinner last night at a bunch of different buildings. it's a good idea in theory, having dozens of people migrating between apartment buildings for appetizers, dinners, and desserts, but let me tell you, there is a limit to how many people can fit in a studio apartment. let's just say it wasn't my idea of a relaxing meal.

a group of us went to a hookah bar last night. it was fun, but our crowd of nine barely fit around two tables. it made me miss the hookah we'd share in josh's apartment at calvin. that seems like ages ago.

i'm semi-motivated to do laundry but currently have no money to do so. i'm not above washing some clothes in the bathtub. welcome to little apartment on the prairie...

an average day in your neighborhood (or "this would never happen on sesame street")

today brought me another first for my time in chicago...witnessing public urination on a busy downtown street during rush hour.

i had just gotten up to the street from the subway, and as i was walking down the lake street i noticed a bright yellow duffel bag sitting abandoned on the sidewalk. my first reaction was to assume it was a bomb, or something equally horrific; had i been in an airport, it may have been something i would have reported to the appropriate authorities. naturally, my worst-case-scenario mind jumped to grisly headlines of terrorist plots. i was already picturing how distressed my mother would be at the thought of her daughter working in a city where duffel bags exploded when i walked past a doorway tucked in amongst the storefronts.

and it was there that i saw a man's back and heard the unmistakable sound of urine hitting the pavement.

never a dull tuesday, my friends.

it's 7:30...where are your children?

[i wondered how long before these feelings were going to hit me.]

it's a clear and lovely night down here in chi-town. nothing is currently going on, and my prospects for the evening are unknown. more than you realize, this is when i wish to my core that "my" people were down here too. i'm having a lot of fun with several very great people, so please don't misunderstand. but obviously, i miss my friends.

i'm sure tonight will be fun, and it looks like there could be some valentine's day karaoke in my future (!). however, lest anyone forget, i miss all the good ones back home.

springtime in the city?

can i just get a shout-out for the february thaw? yes, i do like 60 degree weather before valentine's day. i went coat-less to work today, and i couldn't help but chuckling at everybody unnecessarily bundled up in their winter warmest. embrace the heat wave while you can.

work is going well. i had my picture taken for the company newsletter today (and yes, it just so happened to be the day i didn't wash my hair and had it up in my tiny stub of a ponytail). i think i was able to recreate the gwen stefani bangs enough to salvage the photo.

we've got our first round of classes tomorrow. i'm excited to sleep in (an extra two hours!) even though that means i'll be downtown until 5.

i don't know if i'll ever be able to get over this cold--i've been sick practically since i arrived in chicago. yes, there is a cvs across the street, and yes, i'm too lazy and cheap to buy more cold medicine. that probably ruins any chance i had at sympathy, right?

the new life

i just finished my first official workweek, and even though it was only two days, the weekend is upon me as a beacon of sleep and laziness.

the first two days at my internship went well. there's a lot of new information to take in and programs to learn, but i think i'm getting into the swing of things. my coworkers are really great, though i wouldn't mind have a dwight in the office to keep things unpredictable. that will probably become my role.

our arts & the city class went and saw japan dance now last night. it was definitely modern and not what you would see at calvin's dance guild shows. i may not have understood all the symbolism behind the program, but it was interesting to see something completely different from what i expect of dance.

i don't know what's going on for the weekend, but it's supposed to reach 50 degrees here tomorrow. i can handle a week of mild weather (even if the cold is just days behind). it was so nice walking to my train after work tonight; the wind was whipping, but for the first time i didn't feel like my limbs were about to freeze and cease functioning. it was a good feeling, i promise.

i hope all is well in the g-raps. if anybody wants to come down for a visit, the art institute is free for the month of february. seriously, who can say no to that?

love.

reconnected with virtual reality

comcast rescued apt. 309 from a life without internet as of 25 minutes ago; i couldn't be happier. i apologize for the lack of communication (not that my life is really that exciting in the first place).

i'll have to take some pictures of the apartment, but i'm surprised at how much room we really do have in our 1-bedroom. i just covered an ugly picture frame with a number of pictures, so i am finally beginning to feel as though i no longer live in a hotel. 

my internship at tc public relations begins tomorrow. i'm nervous and excited, as i think that i should be. pray that things go well!

i'm shocked at the weather. it definitely has been cold the past few days, but i think i've seen the sun shine most of the day for as long as i've been here. it's supposed to reach the 50s this weekend, and let's just say i'm jazzed.

sarah and i went on a walk down by lake michigan this weekend (and yes, that's only a few blocks from our building). on our walk back we toured the gold coast neighborhood--if anybody's looking to drop some dollars on a visit, i'm not too far from prada, chanel, vera wang, and jimmy choo. the anthropologie only a few blocks south also poses a stumbling block (but since i'm not earning any money this semester, it might as well be the harry winston store).

anyway, i've got a fold-out couch and lots of ramen noodles; want to visit? 

gold coast vertigo

i may not have internet in my apartment yet, but thank good i can buy 2 hours of internet access at starbucks for $3.99...(i mistakenly believed that all wi-fi was and should be free for paying customers. i can see i was incorrect.)

i've been here for less than one week and now i've got an internship, two roommates, and an apartment in the gold coast. i'm pleasantly surprised at the size of our one-bedroom apartment; i think it feels pretty comfortable and lovely for a three-month lease.

i made my decision regarding the internship; i will be working for tc public relations. i am excited to learn as much as i can about the industry so i can make good use of my communications skills in the professional world someday. on a more disappointing note, the cost of groceries in chicago has shocked my poor half-dutch soul. i bought a carton of orange juice, a half box of saltines, and five cans of soup for $30. yes, my jaw almost dislodged at that jewel u-scan.

i think i'm about over my cold, but i've been getting really dizzy the past two days. it comes and goes, but i've been trying to handle it as best i can. all i can figure is that i've been so stressed out and my head cold is probably messing with my balance. i'll reevaluate my feelings in a day or two, once i can get into a routine and past all the stress of settling.

i'm excited to be in chicago, and it finally feels real. and just so all potential visitors are aware, we have a pull-out sofa in our living room, so guests can sleep in (some version of) comfort.

two more days of orientation, one day off, and internships start on thursday. maybe the harried pace of this week is to blame for my weak constitution.

happy february.

will work for food

i can hardly believe that i've had four interviews this week and that they are finally finished. i've interviewed at a variety of places (the ywca, kimpton hotels, wbbm/cbs 2, and tc public relations) and they all have their pros and cons. i have two definite favorites, and i am 99.5% sure where i want to be. i will pass along the news when it is official.

one more day in the hotel before i move into my one-bedroom apartment (you know, the one that three people will live in). public transit is becoming more and more familiar, and i even took the bus by myself to the interview this morning. as long as i can check out a map beforehand, there's no reason for me to wind up out in indiana or something. the bus does makes stops, you know.

i have some forms to fill out and i haven't actually eaten anything today; combining the two tasks seems like a good idea. i'm getting excited about the prospect of building a legitimate life here, and though i miss everyone from home quite a bit, i'm ready to try and be independent. that said, visitors are always welcome.

three down, one to go

with three of my interviews finished and only one left for tomorrow morning, i've got a pretty good idea of what the semester beholds. i'm not really concerned about this last interview, as i have had a really positive experience at one of my sites. however, i'm open to the possibility of a last-minute curve ball. needless to say, i am ready to make a decision and get the interviewing process behind me.

move-in date is saturday, and i am excited about having a real place. staying in the hotel is great, especially since we're right down in the loop, but it will be nice to get seriously settled.

i wish my life was more exciting; i'm not sure i really deserve to write a blog about all the tedious details of my life. (and i don't know if this is exciting or not, but i ate a chipotle today. of course, i had to wait to move away from grand rapids before the chipotle opened.)

if you don't hear from me for a few days, assume my life is boring. i'll let you know when all the good stuff happens.

love.

just a small town girl...

i'm not sure if this blog will "stick" or not, but i thought i'd give it a shot while i'm living it up in chicago.

i've only been in the city for three days, and even though the days are flying past, i'm finding my way and settling into a routine. living out of the hotel allegro has been really great, and it's a nice place to run into people and build relationships with all the "buddies" i hope to meet for this semester. if it weren't for the cold i'm been fighting since monday night, things would be nearly perfect.

my housing situation is settled for the next three months; i move into canterbury court apartments on saturday. the roommate situation worked out really well, and i think we're all in for a fun semester.

i had two internship interviews today, with one more each on thursday and friday. i had one mediocre interview and one really fantastic meeting, so here's to hoping that my decision won't get difficult in the next few days. having my interviews done and the work decision finalized is the light at the end of this tunnel known as orientation week.

maneuvering around the city is getting easier every day. i went on my first solo CTA trip today out to my sister's apartment; it's good to know that, yes, i can get on a train going in the right direction and get off at the appropriate stop. my trip wasn't without any excitement, though--i saw an undercover police officer arrest two young guys in my train car just as i was disembarking the pink line. 

well, i took nighttime cold medicine a few hours ago, and i'm getting more and more disoriented as i write. it's probably time to go to bed--my typo frequency is growing exponentially. 

i miss all my friends and family at home, but if it's any consolation, i'm doing okay here in chi-town. i'd love to hear about everything i'm missing, so keep me in the loop (pun intended...forgive my lame chicago jokes).

love to all.