First Week Schmoozing

My first week in Chicago has been all about getting to know my classmates who have already moved here.  My apartment building is essentially a dorm - I think someone told me that something like 40% of our class lives here.  The majority of the rest of the students live within a 2 block radius, so whether it's in the laundry room or at the CVS across the street you're bound to run into someone in your cohort or in your classes.

Monday night, people organized an around the world party, aka a booze & schmooze where you go to a new apartment/location every 30 minutes and the hosts have a themed drink/activity.  It was a fun way to meet a bunch of new people (and sneak a peak at how everyone has decorated their apartments for inspiration since we're still decking ours out).  It was pretty hot and loud and overwhelming, but a great first night of socializing.

Tuesday, the DC crew got together for brunch at Wildberry.  I didn't think that a pancake place would be very busy on a Tuesday, but it was packed at 11:30!  The food was delicious and plentiful!  My omelet came with a huge serving of hash browns as well as a side stack of pancakes.  I wasn't capable of finishing it all, but I'll definitely be going back to try some of their specialty pancakes.  Also, it's right around the corner from my apartment...

Some of the crew convinced me to go to the Nats vs. Cubs game that night.  There were probably 50 of us Boothies there.  I don't have any Cubs gear yet, so I wore my Nats hat to Wrigley Field...  At least it was a conversation starter.  We hit up Cubby Bear after the Nats dominated and danced the night away.  I felt way more in my element than I did at the party Monday night.  I even got people to make up totally wacky dance moves with me.

First game at Wrigley Field

The rest of the week, I spent running errands for my impending trip.  It's impossible to figure out how to dress properly conservatively when the weathermen are forecasting temperatures of 100+.  I met up with a few of my fellow travelers on Thursday night for drinks, and we all had the same questions/concerns.  I have a little bit of everything - long skirts, shorts, spandex - so hopefully I'll be covered for all possible situations.  Worst case scenario, I do some shopping there.  I have an abaya from Dubai, so why not get clothes from Jordan too?

I was going to check out the Greek Street Festival today before heading to the airport, but ultimately got lazy and ended up downloading a ton of books to read on the plane and cleaned the apartment since I'm the last to leave.  Also, my room is finally close to being finished.  I'm waiting on a few frames for new posters to come and need some more under-bed storage, but for now it's fine.

New room!

And now, I'm off to the airport!  Next stop: Jordan!

Love,

The Chicagtonian

I Survived the First Weekend!

I packed up the UHaul Thursday afternoon, and, thanks to one of my new classmates, had all of my stuff delivered to my new building Friday evening.  Since I flew out with the family on Friday morning, we had the afternoon for some exploring and planning for the new set up.  The first notable feature of the apartment is this:

The view from my window (Hello Bean!)

I could definitely get used to this.

After moving everything into the apartment, we only got around to putting my bed back together before realizing the sun was going down and everyone was hangry.  After grabbing some snacks at the hotel, we headed to get real dinner at this restaurant:

Howells & Hood at the Tribune Building

This place has some seriously good food and a ridiculous beer selection (more than 100 beers on tap!).  It also has great people watching and an awesome patio (which is the same size or bigger than the indoor part of the restaurant) that I had admired from afar when I was in Chicago for work in May.

Another awesome part of the Tribune building are all of the stones from other places that have been incorporated into the exterior stone work.  For example:

A little piece of home

 A little piece of Greece (This is mostly for Athina)

Apparently Colonel McCormick, the former owner of the Chicago Tribune, asked his correspondents to bring back fragments of historical buildings.  While I doubt that most of the pieces were obtained legally, it's pretty cool to be able to "travel" the world by just walking around a building.

Before my family headed back to the airport on Sunday, we took an architectural boat tour of Chicago and learned a lot about my new city and its history.

It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water!

This week I'm starting to be social and meeting my classmates.  Yesterday, Roommate X and I went out exploring while we still have the luxury of free time.  We wandered around Hyde Park and campus and went for an evening run through Millenium Park and down Lake Shore Dr.  I haven't run in at least a month and was surprised to find out that we ran 3.5 miles only stopping to walk for a minute in the last 1/2 mile.  Proud!

I can't wait to spend the rest of the week getting to know my roomies (now that Roommate P is here too)!  Next stop: brunch with the DC crew and starting to pack for Jordan!

Love,

The Chicagtonian

The Beginning at an End

Today marks a beginning.  The beginning of this blog, the beginning of a new life in Chicago, the beginning of a new career (or at least the first baby steps to achieving a new career), but mostly just an overall beginning.

It also marks an end.  Or maybe a temporary hiatus.  The fact that I am leaving DC didn't hit me until I was driving to my parents tonight after eating takeout from The Heights on my couch with Athina (I refused to join polite society at a restaurant due to my exhaustion and lack of a shower after moving all the things this afternoon).  Driving through Rock Creek Park, I realized I was tearing up.  I didn't feel this way after college because I knew college was supposed to end after 4 years.  But, my life in DC wasn't supposed to be temporary.  I even bought big girl furniture (i.e., not from IKEA) because I was supposed to stick around DC for a while.  So it feels like I'm actually leaving behind a life.

Athina is probably sick of hearing that I'm leaving.  I've done this to her a couple of times - after college when I moved back to DC only to tell her I was moving to Dubai the next week, and then again when I actually moved to DC and ended up traveling for work 4-5 days a week and was too exhausted to be an awesome friend every weekend.

There have been benefits to the end of this current DC era.  I was able to convince my friends to make this the summer of Teri.  Totally selfish, but whatever.  Everyone helped me check things off of my DC bucket list, and I have some great new memories thanks to them.  I may not have completed all of my "planned" activities, but it doesn't matter.

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Teri’s DC Bucket List

1. Sweetlife Festival (5/11)
2. Dinner at Thai Xing
3. Jazz in the Garden (7/26)
4. Go to a gallery opening
5. Drag brunch
6. Brunch at Mad Momos (7/14)
7. Champagne Tour of Mansion on O St (7/14)
8. Tour of the Capitol (6/13 thanks to RM!)
9. Eat lunch in the Folger Library garden
10. Cooking classes at Culinaerie (6/21 with LC)
11. Go out for Ethiopian food (Cheated with Fojol Bros on 7/8)
12. Nats game (First game on 5/28 w/ Boothies)
13. Use Bikeshare
14. Play minigolf at the Building Museum (6/27 with CM and lots of the gang)
15. Eat crabs at Cantlers
16. Go to an embassy party (Swiss National Day Celebration at the Swiss Embassy on 8/3)
17. Hike Roosevelt Island
18. See a movie outdoors (Willy Wonka on 8/5)
19. Salsa dance at Sabor Monday’s at Lima
20. Yoga in Meridian Hill Park (7/29 with Sweetgreen and the gals)
21. Brunch at Room 11 (6/2 w/ NHFW)
22. Eat homegrown veggies from our garden (Peas and corn!)
23. Ballet classes at Washington Ballet
24. Go sailing
25. Play True American
26. Tour a DC brewery
27. Bottle Green Hat Gin Go to an event sponsored by Green Hat Gin (Wasn’t able to get a spot through the lottery to bottle, so I went to a Green Hat event at the American History Museum on 7/25)
28. Hike Old Rag
29. Go to Truckeroo (Truckeroo scheduled for 7/19.  TOO HOT!)
30. Start playing tennis again (First game on 6/1 with BD)
31. 1368 Pig Roast (No weekends worked prior to my departure, but I’ll come back to DC for the next one)
32. 4th of July BBQ (Scheduled for 7/4)
33. Go to Upshur Pool

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While I'm sad to leave behind a fabulous life in DC, I'm also incredibly excited to start a new one in Chicago.  I may think the name Chicagoland is stupid, but Chicago is a pretty great city.  I'm ready to explore the city, start business school, make new friends, and who knows what else.  Also (nerd alert!) I'm stoked to go to class and learn new things on a daily basis.

This is likely the most sentimental post that will appear on the blog.  From here on out, this will be my place to talk about whatever new awesome things I've learned, maybe an internship or two, and whatever other adventures happen along the way.  Next stop: Chicago!

Love,

The newly minted Chicagtonian