365 days ago, I cried on my birthday because I was afraid that I hadn’t accomplished enough in the last year. I was 31 and in the past year, I hadn’t gotten a raise, earned a promotion, found the love of my life, or had babies. I was in exactly the same place I’d been the year before. It’s not that I wasn’t accomplished, but it felt like my life had moved nowhere in 12 months.
This year, though, the only tears I had were ones of appreciation. I had thoughtful texts, phone calls, Facebook posts, and in-person time from best friends, family members, friends from the past, and cute boys. I’ve had goose bumps of happiness for the past few days, starting with the boozy brunch I had with 9 of my Chicago girlfriends on Saturday and continuing to the cookie cake my coworkers surprised me with today, the 105 (and counting) Facebook posts, dinner and shopping with my parents, and countless personal texts and phone calls from around the world.
Continue reading 32: The Year of You! →
My mom and I had a lovely time exploring the 3.8 square mile Mackinac Island, Michigan over a long weekend recently. While characteristically touristy for a long stretch, more than 80% of the island is a state park. Over 15,000 visitors a day come to Mackinac Island in the summer, so you know that there must be something appealing. Is it the endless supply of fudge? Or the beauty of the rolling hills? Maybe it’s the kitschy shops every 10 feet or the fact that you can bike eight miles without any cars getting in the way. Whatever it is that brings tourists here, there’s something pretty magical about this island.
It’s a 6-8 hour drive from Chicago, depending on how many stops you take along the way, so we left bright and early on a Friday morning. Since no cars are allowed on the island, the ferry is your only option for getting island-side. There are plenty of options – do you want a speed boat or slow boat? Do you want to pay $20 or $40? We attempted to do this weekend on the cheap, so we went with Arnold Line. Normal ticket prices are $18 roundtrip and it takes about 40 minutes one-way.
Continue reading Mackinac Island: Home of Fudge, Bikes, and Ghosts →
Taking Chicagoland by storm…one date, one yoga class, one salsa lesson, one blog post, one trip, one drink, one meal, one new friendship at a time.
New City Life Adventure 