No longer a rookie :)

It seemed quite fitting to write this post today since as of today it has been exactly ONE YEAR since we moved to Chicago. I have to say that it has been an amazing adventure so far, and despite the fact that at first I was terrified of this move, I really believe it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Chicago has overwhelmingly exceeded my expectations, and I am really lucky to have the chance to experience all it has to offer.

Huz and I renewed our lease here in Hyde Park for one more year, so we will be here until March 2014. I recently accepted a full-time (with benefits! YAY!) position downtown with Northwestern, and Huz and I are most likely moving to a different neighborhood next year. We're looking at Andersonville, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, or Lakeview right now. We have met some wonderful people here in the city and have discovered some wonderful places. We're looking forward to the next chapter of our lives here in Chicago, and I want to thank my faithful readers who journeyed by my side through the last year. I bid you all adieu, for it is with this final post that I am going to end this blog, because I really don't feel like a rookie in this city anymore. :)

I am toying around with the idea of starting another blog, and if I do, I'll come back here and post the link for those who are interested!

Farewell,

Emme

Happy 2013!

Whew! It's been awhile! Happy New Year all! I hope that the new year is treating you well. I'm *FINALLY* getting over a super nasty bug that seems to have infected the majority of the population in the city within the last several weeks.

It is the truth that I have been more sick than ever before since we moved to Chicago last March.   I imagine it has to do with the monumental increase in germs I am exposed to here versus what I was exposed to while we lived in the middle of a cornfield in a town of 10,000. ;) heh heh. Ah well, I guess you have to take the bad with the good, right? This most recent super bug caused me to cancel plans with two different sets of friends which I was extremely bummed about, however we have rescheduled with both sets of friends, so I will survive.

I have some exciting news to share involving school. I have begun what is to be my final semester at the University of Illinois Springfield! I graduate on May 11, 2013, and I am SO excited! I am going to be extremely busy this semester as I am taking 5 labor intensive classes, 2 of which require many hours of community service. I'm a little nervous as to how I'm going to have time to sleep and eat between work, volunteering, and other class requirements, but I'm sure I'll work it out. I always do. ;)

I will be volunteering for the next few months with the Hyde Park Art Center as well as with New Moms Inc. I am very excited about both of these opportunities because I believe that both organizations are doing wonderful things for the people of Chicago. I think giving back is SO important, and though I have done a bit of volunteer work in the past, I admittedly could (and SHOULD) do so much more. I invite you to check out the websites of the organizations I'll be working with at www.hydeparkart.org and www.newmomsinc.org, and I look forward to sharing my experiences through this blog.

Til next time,

Emme

Christmas Spirit is in full effect in our building :)

 Christmas is my favorite holiday hands down. I've already mailed out 95% of our Christmas cards, and our tree has been up since a few days before Thanksgiving.  I love the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with Christmas. I love Christmas lights, carols, receiving Christmas cards (I don't care if they say it's a dying tradition...I will never stop sending out Christmas cards! Ha!) and spending time with the ones I love.

And I am so excited to spend our first Christmas in Chicago. The entire city is transforming before our eyes, and it's feeling more and more like Christmas time. There are lights everywhere. I was SO excited to see that they even decked out our building! Inside and out!

One of our sweet neighbors came over completely unexpected tonight to deliver a gift bag. When I looked inside I found a holiday card addressed to me, huz, and Puss In Boots. I also found cat toys for our lil feline which she is currently batting around the living room... I was really touched by such a sweet little gesture. I can't wait to do something sweet for our neighbor and her kitties too!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Holiday Season. :)

xoxo,

Emme

Confessions...

I'm typing up this post while sipping on a nice glass of Trader Joe's Pinot Gris... so you gotta take that into account when you read it. ;)

I've had soooo many RANDOM confessions swirling around my brain these past couple of weeks that I figured I'd take the evening off from research papers, reading, and discussion board posts and type a few of these thoughts out...

 (Plus we are having company over in an hour or so, Huz's cousin is coming into the city, so I wouldn't be able to get a whole lot of school work done anyway unless I left the apartment which is SO not happening. Heh!)

Disclaimer: You do not have to tell me how first-world-problemy my confessions sound. I already know. Believe me.

Confession # 1. I confess that...I really want a new job. I've only been working 2 or 3 days a week for the museum. I've been applying a bit here and there, but haven't heard anything back yet. I really wanted to stick it out at the museum until I graduate in May, (Can't believe I am SO CLOSE! Yet some days it still seems SOOOO far away...) but I am really tired of huz and I having to watch every. single. penny. and having to say no to invitations with potential wonderful new friends because we're broke...

Confession # 2. I confess that...I have been thinking more and more about moving to a different neighborhood in Chicago. I feel like such an asshat confessing that...but it's true. I love SO many things about Hyde Park, friendly neighbors, diversity, art, museums, parks, being thisclose to the lake, Promontory Point, our gym, our apartment....yada yada....but it's sooooo quiet here. The neighborhood falls silent at 10pm. There's barely any retail here...not that I have money to spend right now anyway...but still. The restaurants leave a bit to be desired although we are getting a couple of new ones in 2013! Nevertheless...there are just other neighborhoods *cough* Andersonville and Old Town and River North*cough* that are sounding more and more exciting to me.

Confession # 3. I confess that...I cannot wait until my little sister's wedding in January! I am so excited to see her marry her wonderful fiance. They are so in love, and so perfect for each other. I am SO ridiculously happy for them. I also confess that I really need to find a dress to wear to said wedding....

Confession # 4. I confess that...it feels NOTHING like winter right now, and I LOVE IT. We have had such a mild start to December that sometimes I have to remind myself fall is almost over. There is not a pinch of snow on the ground, and for the past few days I haven't even needed more than a light fall jacket outside. A girl can definitely get used to this! I wonder when we will pay....I bet the first time it snows this winter it'll snow a foot. Ugh.

Confession # 5. I confess that...I think I could easily become a tattoo addict. I am loving my new tattoo more and more...especially because of the awesome meaning behind it. (My other 2 tattoos I got when I was very young (18 and 20) and though I love them, they have no meaning whatsoever.)

Confession # 6. I confess that...I STILL don't know if I want to go to grad school. Here I am a mere 6 months from graduation and I still don't know. I also confess that deep down I feel like I owe it to the women before me who paved the way for my generation. Women's rights have come so far...and have SO FAR to go...and I definitely want to do my part. I definitely want to strive to reach my full potential, but at the same time, I don't want to just aimlessly continue my education.

Alright..company is coming...til next time...


Emme

Fresh Ink

A photo of my tattoo as promised. :)

It's the last two weeks of my semester so forgive me for being very quiet right now...I hope to post more once I get a breather from school! Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving.

Tattoo!

I forgot to mention that I got a new tattoo while I was in Reno. I got it to honor the memory of my mother-in-law who was taken much too early by breast cancer, and to support my cousin as she battles breast cancer right now. It is still healing up but it's beautiful, and when it is completely healed I will post a photo!

The Space

Hey there! I know I should say sorry for not writing, but things have been extra crazy around here lately. The semester is winding down for me, Huz is getting into new studies, and I just got back from Reno, so there's been a lot of playing catch up going on.

I got to visit Virginia City, a very old silver mining town, and Lake Tahoe while I was in Nevada. Both are wonderful places and I'm really glad I had the chance to see them! Below are a couple of photos of Lake Tahoe, but they do NOT do it justice. It's truly breathtaking.

I'm not going to say a whole lot about my trip, but I will say that though it was hard, it was really really nice. It was so nice to be able to spend time with my cousins and my aunt and uncle...people I see far too rarely. And they were sooooo happy to see us too, especially my mom who has an incredibly calming presence. It was hard to leave, but I hope that we will be able to visit more often. I believe I have both Grace and Meghan coming to visit me in Chicago this summer...so I'm really looking forward to that!

In other news....

 Huz and I have joined a gym here in Chicago for the winter months! Finally! It feels sooooooooooooooooo incredibly good to be back in the gym regularly. And I love so many things about our new gym, 'The Space'. It is literally right next door to our place, so it is incredibly convenient, and it is owned by a woman my age who is also a personal trainer. She is incredibly sweet and she gave us a good deal when I told her that the huz and I are both students.

The owner also offers other services on site such as a variety of fitness classes, nutrition counseling, massage therapy, and even manicure service. I love that the gym is open 24 hours, 365 days a year, and it's primarily used for one on one personal training. This means that the gym member base is very small, and it rarely gets crowded. I can't say enough good things. If you're in the Hyde Park/Kenwood area, I'd definitely recommend The Space for all your fitness needs.