Australian Lungfish, Green Moray Eels and River Otters

On Day 4 of Chicago Awesome it was time for a little new-resident sight-seeing.

A friend came to visit to see my friends and I (and our new city!) and brought with her energy, excitement and … a list of things to do.

While the rest of us nursed our hangovers and just straight exhaustion from the past couple of weeks… visiting friend outlined our options.

A poll was taken and (acting like children at) the aquarium was picked as the mid-afternoon activity of choice.

We plane/train/automobile-ed it to the east and found Shedd Aquarium.  This iconic cultural attraction stands next to Lake Michigan in an enormous and gorgeous building better suited to be our country’s embassy.

However, no president or political figure was found inside this gem.  Instead, we feasted our eyes on 25,000 fish and 5,000,000 gallons of water.

As a child I basically abhorred museums.  I may have mentioned this in a previous post but 18 years ago I would take in a giant open space with things on the wall and think…. dance studio.  The only thing I tolerated was the science museum (dad’s favorite) where I could be kept preoccupied with hands-on exhibits.

Hoping to be sufficiently entertained, I decided to throw myself into this experience.

Our first encounter with those that live in the sea was an enormous aquarium (shocker) with sharks and string-rays and a host of other strange species.

Being surrounded by a plethora of small people under the age of 10 really inspired some of that science museum reminiscing and some age-inappropriate behavior:

1. The purchase of a chocolate milk before heading into the first exhibit (absolutely necessary)
2. Pressing ourselves to the glass of giant aquarium to say hi to sting-ray (move it kid)
3. Group shot against green screen (thankfully we left that work of art at Shedd)
4. Spontaneous eruption of excitement (SEA-HORSES!!!!!)……….(move it kid)
5. Finding Nemo (no really. we found him. and his dad.)

3 hours later, having seen some pretty wild underwater life (such as the group-named “Snooki Poof” fish), we were exhausted and sufficiently smarter as far as fish are concerned.

Experiencing a part of my new city with friends…. Awesome.

Sofa Shopping: A Life Changing Endeavor

On Day 2 of Chicago Awesome, after 1 too many days in an empty apartment (with a bed), I decided it was that time.

A friend and I took the subway somewhere north (friend got us there, I thought about fabric swatches) where we discovered the mecca of furniture stores (or rather Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn and West Elm….)

It’ll do.

The arrival to this fabulous part of town meant I could start my mission: to find a fabulous sleeper couch with just the right shade of “white” to make my sofa dreams come true.

Turns out buying a sofa is not a color-by-number type of process.  There were questions I hadn’t thought of, hidden fees that hadn’t occurred (delivery isn’t free?) and the absurdly high sales tax to think about (should’ve checked this before moving…).  More importantly, a slew of questions and options were thrown at me that left me puzzled for a good 3 hours (sorry friend!).

Finally, after becoming best buds with the sales associate (Hi Dylan!), taking a good 30-minute turn on the sofa of my choice and then comparing it to every sofa in the neighboring store……. I picked one. With the custom fabric of my choice and forked over my life savings (turns out a nice couch is akin to a Ford Focus).

To celebrate this great stride in building a new home in new city, friend and I crossed the street to a suspiciously Awesome store that advertised the sale of wine AND furniture (what a combination).

This wonderful mix of random furniture, home goods and alcohol was just the right touch of hilarity and entertainment that we needed….

The wine tasting going on at that moment in the center of the store put the cherry on top of an exhausting and forward moving day.

Awesome.

Hurricanes, New Friends and Cross Country Migrations

T-0 came and went.

On the fateful day that I prepared to say goodbye to New York City and head West, hurricane Sandy arrived and forced upon my life tuna fish sandwiches, PB&J, cheez-its and beer pong by candle light.

My roommate (moving also!) and I found ourselves in an empty apartment on the 27^th floor with no power, one mattress, one flashlight, 3 small candles and entirely too much alcohol for two people leaving the state (evidence of a good 5 years).

There was one thing left to do.

Explore the building (dorm?), meet new friends (fellow gen-y-ers) and try to conserve precious iphone battery for instagram (call dad).

5 games of pong, 2 parties, 3 new friends from our Alma-mater (what are the chances?!) and 2 days later we were ready to hit the road to finally move to Chicago (there were about 7 collective goodbye parties between the 2 of us after all…).

It was time to go.

I slept in my jeans.  She didn’t sleep.  We were ready to spring to action like firefighters.  Having moved all of our stuff into the dimly lit hallway the night before (generator = key), we were up at 5am prepared to use the one manually operated elevator to move a mountain of clothes, kitchen utensils and chick-books into a rented minivan before building management found out our escape plan (turns out moving apartments is not advisable or permitted in the dark)

2 hours later, with the help of 4 doormen, we were able to fill ever crevice of that van.  And we were off…

The drive was about 15 hours long and took us through 5 states.  The drive would have taken 13 hours had we not made a pit stop for food every hour on the hour, including a completely out of the way scenic tour of a town called Milton, Pennsylvania (think town from Hocus Pocus) where we had an incredible breakfast omelet in the cutest café and acted like tourists.

The rest of the trip went smoothly.  The highlights:

• Hours of singing on part of friend…
• Trying to make friend’s cat “go” in the car (this activity could have gone on for hours)
• Watching little trick-or-treaters in small town
• Playing the “how do you feel about this state” game (not advisable)
• Playing the “would you rather” game
• Using the EZ Pass lane and then getting out of car to read the 482-digit serial number to attendant (great pastime)

15 hours later… we arrived in Chicago.

It was worth it.  For this.

(View from my new apartment!!)

Awesome.

The Art of the Goodbye Party

On T-7 days until the big move (Chicago, are you ready?!), I got appropriately dressed for going away party number one.

Having come to New York right after college and spent five years in the glorious city – I decided (and friends approved) that inviting a slew of individuals to one of our favorite bars from our “just-out-of-college” days was the best way to proceed.

I reserved half the bar for myself and said brood of (sophisticated) jaeger-bomb loving friends.

To start the night, we held a “pre-game” at my brother’s apartment and appropriately took some shots and made some toasts to start the night.

Feeling pretty happy and ready to party like its 2007…. We made our way to one of my beloved bars to properly say goodbye to New York City.

The night was a fantastic success.

I found the following to be essential to my fond memories (in no order):

– A tiara (No, it’s not my birthday. Yes, I pretended it was half the night.)

– A throne (The bar had a wooden throne. I utilized this surprising item to my fullest enjoyment.)

– Vodka

– Friends from all walks of life that reminded me of the great life I’d built

– New friends (brought by old friends.)

– My brother

– Angry bouncers (how I’ll miss your spunk old friends.)

I was my hyper self.  I took random photos that looked absurd in the morning.  I shared nachos with 20 people.  I danced.  I hugged (a lot of people). I made new friends.  I spent time with old friends.  I celebrated.

Hung-over breakfast was even sweeter than usual.

Awesome.

Packing: A Cleansing Exercise

T-12 days until the big move (to Chicago).

I was finally forced to get to the dreaded packing portion of the life-changing exercise.

Where to begin!

After surveying the contents of my room, I found clothes I haven’t worn since 1998 (homage to my high school fashion glory), cell phone chargers for every model made since 1999 (hmm might need to revive that Saved By The Bell phone…) and jewelry I picked up during college travels that once was “silver” but is now a gorgeous pewter at best.

After giving it some thought, I decided not to give friends and family reason to nominate me for Hoarders and thus spent time going through everything.  I opened up pre-packed boxes, took everything out from under the bed and dug deep into bins that traveled (as is) from high school to college to NYC.

Favorite finds:

• The ever popular “spank me it’s my birthday” t-shirt (size kids small) – KEEPER
• Hair ribbon I wore in my last figure skating college nationals
• Complete sequined one-piece suite (worn on Halloween 5 years ago)
• 15 tube-tops (naturally)
• Cards my roommates and I wrote to each other in college.  Absurdity at its best.

Ultimate favorite: card my college (and current) roommate gave me on my 23^rd bday:

I can’t remember how the nicknames “poopy” and “crappy” came about, but I do know that 8 years later, I still yell “crappy!!” in public places when trying to find her.  Neither one of us can remember what the “little something” is that was provided for the start of my day.  I’m assuming a Keystone Light. Or beer pong paddle (?).  Either way: solid gold.

I donated bags of clothing, shoes and blankets.  I gave away skirts, tennis shoes and workout outfits.  I spent hours reading every note, postcard and diary.

The result is: a great deal less to move.  Some proper reminiscing.  A feeling of lightness.

Turns out cleansing and “spring cleaning” (in October) is Awesome.

Highly recommend it.

Giant Statues and Pink Wallpaper

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57517036/living-room-exhibit-erected-around-columbus-monument-in-new-york/

Day 47 commenced my official countdown to my move from New York City!

I know I’ve mentioned it in previous posts but here it is officially:

I’m leaving the big (crazy, yet fun) apple to head to the windy (more balanced and clean) city.

Friends, followers and random passerby’s, as of around 8pm on October 29, I will officially be a resident of the state of Illinois.

During these last 14 days, I am aiming to soak up the Awesome (what else) in my NYC life (no real complaints here).

I’m going to take this opportunity to count backwards…..

On day -14 I found myself in a living room.  6 flights of stairs up from the ground.  In the middle of one of NYC’s busiest intersections.  Sitting on a (very comfortable and purple) couch. Staring up at the room’s centerpiece:  the famous 70-foot statue built in 1892 of Christopher Columbus.

I wouldn’t have believed it myself had I not accompanied a friend to the exhibit (one of our last outings!), complained and moaned the entire 6 flights of stairs and spent more time than was allowed in the “living room.”

“Discovering Columbus” is an exhibit created by Tatsu Nishi that allows visitors to experience the famous Columbus statue as if it were in their living room.  The room’s expansive space, covered in pink wallpaper, adorned with modern furniture and over-sized windows, is a surreal and a one-of-a-kind experience for several reasons.

1)       Seeing a 70-foot statue brought to life in touching distance is not an everyday sighting.  Sitting on the couch, I studied the details of the work.  Everything from his dress to his face are etched in a type of accurate precision I would never have suspected

2)      The sheer idea of something so large and grand that one would never see up close to be in a home setting is bewildering (not something you pick up while “antiquing”).  Not surprisingly, my jaw dropped when we turned the corner on the top floor.

3)      The exact views we saw can’t be replicated.  Out the fake living room windows was a sea of lights coming from cars speeding down Central Park West.  The top of buildings on the other side of the island were peeking over trees and Central Park was spread out before us.

central park west

On a personal note, Columbus Circle is one of my favorite parts of this city.  It’s the place where I ate my mac and cheese and sushi rolls during lunch as an intern.  It’s the place where I’ve gone to clear my head.  It’s the fountains my brother and I played in just a few weeks ago (errrr I mean watched the children play).

I loved experiencing this part of the city in a completely different way.

Awesome!

Monograms, Trays and Zebra-Inspired Wallpaper

On Day 44 I channeled my love of bright colors, stationary and designer cards (look at me be girly!) while attending the grand opening of the Dabney Lee store. (http://www.dabneylee.com/).

Jumping at the chance to support a friend (who happens to be married to Dabney), I was psyched to check out the cute products, partake in a little wine and cheese and see a part of the borough of Brooklyn I seldom visit.

Finding the store was easy – Dabney Lee is located on a popular street in Dumbo, right in the midst of retail therapy, the Brooklyn Brewery store and delicious brunch spots.  The crisp blue awning and zebra wallpaper are enticing and the products are a feast for the eyes.

I walked in, waved at said friend, and immediately wanted to touch and look at everything.

Pretty sure a whole 20 minutes went by before I even approached the wine/beer/cheese (hard to believe I know).

Some of my favorite products:

• Personalized monogramed trays (breakfast in bed… yes please!)
• Cards that say “Everyone Wants To Be Us” (Already planning on purchasing these must-haves for friends)
• Coasters with Obama AND Romney (Everyone’s happy!)

Witnessing this home-grown success was motivating.  Seeing the family-inspired personalizations on the products was uplifting.  Participating in the soiree that’s launching the store?  …  Pretty Awesome.

Love Stories, Boxes and Playbills

On Day 43, I found myself enjoying a pastime I had not experienced or thought about in 15+ years.

I was probably around 10 years old when my mom took me to the Opera for the first time in effort to share with her daughter, her love of the art.

Unfortunately, my 10-year old self didn’t get the message regarding music’s trans-formative nature.  I wanted chips and popcorn and when that was done… to go home early (can you blame me?).

Cut to the present.

A friend invited me to the Metropolitan Opera House to experience Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot from private box seats.

I jumped at the opportunity to participate in this must-see experience (before my move from NYC!).  Plus, who can pass up an opportunity to get all dressed up and enjoy private seating (I was channeling Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman)?

After making our way to Lincoln Center (no easy feat during rush hour!), we walked towards the beautiful fountain and prepared to take our seats.  As the curtain went up, I was instantly mesmerized by the gorgeous sets and story-line.

Turandot is a fairy tale love story (romantic comedy from the 1920’s if you will) set in China about a princess who tests numerous suitors by offering riddles and has those who answer incorrectly beheaded (love this).

I loved the acting.  I loved the music.  I loved the happy ending (don’t want to give too much away!)

I thought about how much my mom would have loved this and found myself smiling by the end.

Awesome!

Fundraising, Walks and the Brooklyn Bridge

On Day 42 of Awesome I found myself waking up at 7am on a Sunday to participate in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) walk to cure diabetes (http://www.jdrf.org/).

This annual event raises money for research aimed at curing type 1 diabetes.

I was there to support a friend, participate in a great cause and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Uncharacteristically hyper for a Sunday morning, having devoured two packages of cream cheese (and bagel?) and armed with a great group of participants, I was ready to walk across this national historic landmark.

The Brooklyn Bridge does not disappoint.

The views are spectacular.  The rush of cars under your feet is exciting.  The sheer size of the cables is awe-inspiring.

Walkers were pointing to the sights.  Kids were kneeling to see cars pass by underneath our feet.  Participants were getting to know each other.

About 40 minutes later, we were in Brooklyn, waving JDRF fingers (like a baseball game) and feeling a bit hungry (heckling non-walkers works up an appetite).

After a delicious brunch in Dumbo, Brooklyn, we made our way back across the bridge.

Turns out the views in the other direction are even better.

Awesome.

Apartment Hunting: The Despair, The Agony… The Jubilant Elation

On Day 41, I culminated a 3-day apartment search.

I met a couple brokers to begin (and hopefully) end the search for my new apt.

As to be expected… the process was frustrating and nail-biting fun.

In order to make it harder for myself (I like a good challenge), I gave myself 72 hours to find myself a new apartment (in a brand new city), turn in an application and sign a lease (not to mention explore different neighborhoods, visit with friends and get some work done….)

Piece of cake!

Day 1.

3 hours into this day I was ready to call the search off.  Apartment 1 had walls that didn’t meet the top of the ceiling.  Apartment 2 reeked of cigarettes.  Apartment 3 was built in 1961 and had a kitchen fit for a pre-world war I exhibit.

OY.

By the end of the day, I was rethinking any sort of move and wondering which part of “new apartment with nice kitchen” was misunderstood.

Morning of day 2 I tried to give myself a pep talk (key word “tried”) and did my best not to put broker number 2 in a choke-hold and list out my demands.

7 buildings and 20 apartments later, I was seeing spots resembling kitchen and bedroom layouts and trying to remember which unit I liked more than the others.  My state (and the broker’s mood) could be explained by the following behavioral issues:

• Trying to take naps in “model” apartments
• Eating a larger fraction of snacks than normal at every building (Lollipops! Goldfish! Cookies!)
• Staring blankly when asked where I live now
• Haggling with building managers
• Asking “inappropriate” questions about building demographics (what is the male to female ratio and how many males between the ages of 25-32?)

I may have had froot loops in my head by the end of the day, but I knew that I had seen some awesome units that might make my new apartment dreams come true.

By 5pm on day 3, I had an apartment.

Yes, I had spoken to everyone I knew on the phone.  Yes, I had a friend look over every single layout and make a pro/con list for me (typical friend duty).

The end result was complete success and excitement for a new apartment and a move to a new city.

(Now just have to make some decorating decisions)

AWESOME.