A Fork in the Road: January 2011

Back in Chicago

I flew back to Chicago this week. Because school doesn't start until Monday I got to take a little time to explore Chicago since I don't have very much time when I am actually in school. Lori, my roommate, had some friends visiting from Dallas, so we all explored Chicago together. We went on a Chicago architecture tour, up the Sears Tower, to the Chicago Art Institute, and to Chinatown and Greektown, and to see Lake Michigan. Lori's friends were really fun to spend time with, especially Alexia's nine-year-old son, Ethan. We spent two days going all over. I won't have another chance like this until after I finish my program in June.

Standing in the Sears Tower sky deck observatory 1,000 feet looking down. The view would be better if it weren't so cloudy. Oh well.

Chicago Chinatown

Lake Michigan and The Chicago skyline just a few blocks away from my apartment.

We also had a New Year's Eve Party here at our apartment. It ended up being up the party for all YSAs in the entire Chicagoland area. We had probably 60 or 70 people in our apartment. We could see the fireworks from our rooftop patio, which added additional space which was helpful since we had so many people here. It was very successfully advertised. I think I knew maybe 15 people out of all the people that came. It was a fun evening anyway.

Setting up for the party

Glasses for our midnight Martinelli's toast.

A few of the people at the party. It got much more crowded.

Back view of Chicago

View of Chicago from the roof deck

Fireworks at midnight. Welcome 2011!

Ethan got to stay up to midnight, but he got a little bored with all the adults, so I set up my computer so he could watch Kung Fu Panda.

Today, after cleaning up some, I went to the Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo. It had been quite warm for the past few days, but today was bitterly cold. The lights were pretty, but I didn't stay outside very long because it was so cold.

I start school again on Monday. It has been a good break before I jump back in.

Christmas Break in Utah

I got to go home to Utah for almost three weeks for Christmas Break. It was so great to spend time with my family and a few friends that I was able to see. It was a little more difficult to get around because I didn't have my car in Utah, but my sisters were wonderful and drove me or let me borrow their cars when I needed them. I got to go to Temple Square with some of my friends from my old ward. I spent some time with Lucie, which was wonderful.

I also got to go to my neighbor Hayley's wedding. She's like my little sister, and it was wonderful to be able to be in Utah for it. If it wasn't over the break I wouldn't have been able to be there.
Christmas Day was a crazy, wonderful day. I house jumped between all my sister's houses several time all day long. I felt very loved because everyone wanted me with them all day long.

Finals and my little break

After Thanksgiving I started right into finals. Actually, I spent a large part of my Thanksgiving break at my brother's working on final papers. I had three twenty page papers to finish in a week and a half.
It was very busy, however, I did get to take a little break one night when my friend Adam came to town for a business trip and I got to be his tour guide for one evening. We went to the German Christkindle market. I told Adam it was going to be cold, but he didn't believe me. We had to stop and buy a hat and gloves because it was so cold. We went to see the lights on the Magnificent Mile, and had deep dish pizza at Gino's East. We finished by going to the Hancock Tower to see the view and have cheesecake. (The Hancock Tower is almost as tall as the Sears Tower, and instead of paying $16 for a ticket to go up, you can go to the lounge in the top floor and get food and the view for less. Unfortunately for Adam, the best view from the tower is the window from the women's bathroom on the top floor.) It was nice to have one evening not thinking about school. I had to work very hard to make it possible though.