Wish List

Home Sweet Home

After nine months of living in Russia, I now have a ticket in hand for a visit home (I did make a quick stop in NY in February, but since it was unplanned — 8 hours notice — and I didn’t make it to Chicago, I don’t really count it).

I’ll be arriving in the Bay Area on July 28th and will make my way to Chicago sometime around August 3rd or 4th, staying through Jess and Stephanie’s birthdays and my cousin’s wedding on the 13th.

Since the ticket was booked, I’ve been obsessing a little bit about all the things I want to do/things I’m excited about while I’m home.

Here’s my list so far — please let me know if there’s anything you’d like to join me for or anything that I’m missing:

1. FAMILY
2. FRIENDS
3. walk/run along Lake Michigan
4. Fresh air (yes, even August air in Chicago is fresher than Moscow)
5. Girl & the Goat (or has something better popped up since I left town?)
6. Mexican food — I’ll take everything from El Pasidito to Big Star to Frontera
7. Thai Food
8. Indian Food (S.D., I’m counting on you for a visit to India House)
9. manicure/pedicure
10. Target
11. Whole Foods
12. Jewel
13. Clothes shopping (I’m not normally a huge shopper, but the options in Moscow are at least 2x as expensive as in Chicago)
14. Miller Lite at a Sox game (doesn’t matter how terrible they are)
15. FAMILY
16. FRIENDS
17. English
18. English
19. English
20. English books
21. English newspapers
22. Wicker Park
23. The Loop
24. Lincoln Park
25. Lake View
26. Gold Coast (only since M&L moved there)
27. English Movies
28. The “L” (actually, this may be the one area that Moscow wins)
29. Michigan Friends
30. Jenner Friends
31. Grippo Friends
32. Federation Friends
33. All my friends
34. My little cousins (sorry to the rest of the family, you get a special shout out if you’re under 10)
35. Beer gardens
36. Terraces
37. BBQ (can I please, please, please come to someone’s house to grill?)
38. Mom and Dad and Aaron (immediate family gets a special shout out too)
39. Meeting new significant others . . . you know who you are . . .
40. Meeting new babies
41. Wandering around my hood
42. Knowing how to get around the city
43. Driving a car (maybe?)
44. Walking around the city after dark
45. A Moscow mule at Violet Hour
46. Prosecco with the girls
47. Summer Lunches (no, I’m not a summer associate any more, but maybe I can convince some of my lawyer friends to take a leisurely lunch at a River North restaurant and recreate the experience)
48. Not getting lost
49. Not getting lost
50. Not getting lost
51. Using words instead of body language to communicate what I want
52. Malnati’s deep dish
53. Vienna Beef Dog
54. Kaufman’s Bagel
55. Skokie (only because Josh and Liz are getting married there, though I love the whole Fine family that’s based there)
56. FRIENDS
57. FAMILY

I’m sure there will be more to come in the next couple of weeks, but think this is a pretty good start.

Farewell to Chicago

My days in Chicago are officially numbered. Four left to be precise. With the bonus week of my delayed departure, I’ve tried to do some things that I’ve wanted to do, but haven’t had a chance to do during my six years of firm life.

Back in May, before I knew I was leaving, I bought a Groupon (do they have Groupon in Moscow?) for a Chicago Photo Safari. I meant to take an evening class at Navy Pier, but by the time that I remembered I had the Groupon, and that I had to use it before I left, the only class that worked for me was a Millennium Park Safari. I’ve been to Millennium Park a million times in the past six years, and I knew it was a basic class, but it was a gorgeous day, so I thought I’d give it a try.

As I thought, the photo class went over all the standard stuff — shutter speed, aperture, ISO, rule of thirds, depth of field, etc., but I did learn how to spot meter a photo, which as an aspiring shutterbug, I find super exciting. The instructor also showed us some places around the park that I hadn’t seen before, and had some good suggestions for shots.

I’m sharing some of my favorite shots below, but overall, I think it was a morning well spent, and an appropriate start to my farewell week in Chicago. For my full album, click here.

Millennium Park Sign

Self Portrait in the Bean

Bean Self Portrait II

South Michigan in the Bean

Bean Belly (can you find me?)

Bean Tourists

Pretty City

Art Institute Fountain Capture

10 Miles on the Lakefront, 3 Hours on the River, and a Ride Around the City

In an effort to get back to some more personal (but not too personal) writing, I’m going to attempt to use this blog a little more often than simply as a travel blog.

After a winter that never seemed to end, and a spring that never got dry, summer hit Chicago in a big way this week. Last weekend and most of this week was hot and humid. So sticky that even my weather-shortened, “acclimation” easy runs this week were barely doable. I wish I didn’t melt in the heat, but I would truly rather run in 30 degrees than in 85 degrees with 90% humidity.

So the week was miserable, but this weekend was one of those perfect Chicago summer weekends that you live for all year.

Saturday started with a 10-miler along the lake. For me, the first double digit run of the summer is always intimidating, but the reduced humidity and some new running buddies in my CES group made it fly. I can’t say that I’m ready to do 13.1, but I had a little kick in me left for the last half mile. And there was a sky blue ice pop waiting at the end. Really, there isn’t much better than a sky blue ice pop after a ten mile run.

Green City Marketis getting more and more crowded as the summer goes on, but the first of the blueberries and rasberries were out at Seedlings. I managed to get a few home.

After a shower and a short nap, it was off to our month-delayed kayaking trip:  Water Riders We could not have asked for a more perfect afternoon, sun in the sky, 85, cool breeze on the river. Our guide Alex, and his assistant, Asher, were two ridiculously earnest and adorable Parker School alum frat boys. They took their job very seriously and had no idea what to make of the six of us. I shared a tandem kayak with Missy, and I think we did a terrific job for her first time out (and it’s not like I’m an expert). In the kayak we were water level and in felt like we completely encapsulated by the city. I’ve never felt so small in Chicago before, but also never so much as if I were a part of the City. The north and south branches were filthy. They smelled vaguely sewer like and we saw trash floating by. However, the transition to the eastern portion was immediately noticeable. Kind of like exiting a stuffy building and instantly enjoying a breath of fresh air.

The “Trump” girls were fantastic, and we enjoyed a cocktail or two on the rooftop at Citizen.

Today was very early morning dim sum with E&J&J and then time and Wicker Park. A bike ride up to M’s for Pride Parade, M wants to take home a gay cowboy, but I don’t think they’re up for adoption by a bunch of straight women. Some grilled chicken and couscous on the deck.

All in all, cannot ask for much more out of a weekend. So exhausted that I should have any problem falling asleep.