Ponderings

How did I get from there to here? Just three weeks ago I was on my way to BC. I had plans. Now as my life is starting to settle down I am sitting on the floor in my new apartment in Michigan wondering what happened and how I feel about whatever it was that did happen. I've started orientation and have been meeting lots of people. I think I like it here but I don't think I'll know for sure until classes start. For now I'll just have to keep going hoping that I made the right decision.

Change of Plans

I am a planner. It is the very essence of my being and so I am constantly amazed at how good I am at changing all of my carefully laid plans at a moment's notice. I suppose the root cause of that lovely character trait is that I am also a really big fan of change. In fact, I love it so much I find it very difficult to stay in one place for very long (unless that place is my big, beautiful, gray, velvet sofa ... or is it a couch? and what is the difference between a sofa and a couch anyway?). It is for this reason that my having stayed in one city let alone one apartment for nearly three years is a real shocker. To be quite honest, I've been feeling a little unbalanced about it. But this week all that balance was returned in a flurry of plan changing.

Right up until Monday afternoon my grand plan for the next two years was to move to Boston and get an MBA. I had an apartment, was registered for classes, had joined online communities and virtually befriended many people I have never met before. Today, four days later, I am sitting in a computer lab at the University of Michigan blogging about change. I have undone all my Boston plans, found a new place to live, registered for classes, joined online communities and am seriously considering virtually befriending about 400 people I have never met.

This week has been crazy and I am being stretched to the limits of my ability to plan on the fly and I am sure that things will get crazier during the next week and a half. I only hope to handle it with poise and grace or at least with a healthy dose of humor.

Look Ma, No Hands!

Today was an amazing day. I woke up to the song of some very persistent birds in time to see the sunrise from a peaceful meadow overlooking a beautiful valley.

I brought some comfort food to help me prepare for what was next.

Yep, that's right, what was next was jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet with Chad strapped to my back. Or was I strapped to his front? Either way, we were really close. Surprisingly enough as I was kneeling at the door of the plane I was completely calm. As I was falling all I could think was that I was 100% present in the moment and I was loving every second of it. The freefall was fantastic! I had so much fun spinning around and watching the ground race up to catch me. I even managed to deploy my own chute at the correct altitude! We then glided for the final 5,500 feet, pulled some tight spirals, flew threw a cloud and touched down gracefully. Enjoy the pictures!

I honestly think that this may become my new favorite hobby. It is beautiful, peaceful and a heck of a lot of fun. I would love to spend an entire summer at a dive site and jump 5-7 times a day or maybe I'll try to do a jump in every country I travel to from now on. What a life.

Ba-Ba-Reeba Birthday

Today for my birthday Stephen & Angela took me out to a tapas restaurant called Ba-Ba Reebas. It was DELICIOUS!! I got to have this egg-potato-onion concoction that I fell in love with when I went to Spain in 8th grade ... it's called a tortilla española. But the best part of the dinner, the icing on the proverbial birthday cake if you will, was this butterscotch pudding.

A-MA-ZING. I just about died. Seriously.

On a side note, I whipped out some of my new eyeshadow tonight and went for the somewhat smoky blue look. Definitely not an everyday thing but when you're feeling special why the heck not?!

Anniversary Sale

This weekend is the best weekend at one of my favorite stores. Nordstrom. It is their anniversary sale where they put all the new fall clothes on sale before they are picked over and the only things left aren't your size. My girls, Jamie and Sarah, at the Trish counter did my make up. I look fabulous! I have some fun new shades of eye shadow that I am excited to play with and some new basics ... foundation with all kinds of super additives like spf 15, green tea and antioxidants, black eye liner, my favorite fragrance ... and something called a luminizer pen that make it looks like your face is lit from within. And then there were these ...

... they are quite possibly the best pair of black heels I have ever owned. Shiny, peep toe, buckle around the ankle. Can you ask for anything more?



I decided to take my new Obama shirt out into the open during my little shopping trip. I loved all the reactions! There was this cute old lady who asked me where she could get one, someone that walked up to me and said "we can only hope" and then walked away and one of my friends who told me that she knows him. It was interesting to so publicly declare my desires for the future to a mall full of strangers. I felt like I was exposing my most intimate self without knowing how I would be received.

Entering the Arena, Sort Of

For the first time ever I have contributed to a presidential campaign. Granted I made a contribution of about $30 and in return I got a magnetic bumper sticker and a t-shirt but part of Senator Obama's 52M in June was all me.

Concerts in the Park

Tonight my friends Kate and Whitney met me in Millennium Park to hear the Grant Park Orchestra perform Beethoven's Symphony No.7. It is tradition to bring a picnic to the concert and dine on the lawn while listening to some really excellent orchestral performances. My grand plan was to hop on a Purple Express train and get downtown in record time, grab some Chipotle on the way over and have a fabulous time. No muss, no fuss, no stress. Unfortunately in my rush to change out of my work clothes and run to the train I must have left my "I am a local - ask me anything" sign tied around my neck. Not only was I questioned about the nature of the express train, I also helped several people get off at the right stop and explained the menu and ordering procedure at Potbelly's not having been able to find anyone with a sign similar to mine when I went one El stop too far while trying to explain where to go to a very confused passenger and couldn't remember which street Chipotle is on. In the end I was pleased to have been so helpful to so many people and did make it to the concert in time for the Beethoven. It was definitely a night to remember in my beloved Chicago.