Chicago, Illinois

After our NYC weekend getaway we started thinking we should do trips like that more often!  With that, we started entertaining ideas as to where we should go.  Joe was supposed to have Alta playoffs November 14 and 15 but they got postponed a week because of all the rain we had been getting and matches were not getting done.  That Thursday we entertained the idea of going to Chicago for a weekend getaway.  I texted Agatha, who is one of my good friends that lives there, to see if she was available.  Conveniently, it was her boyfriend’s birthday weekend so they had a party planned and that was all!  Friday morning we booked some last minute flights to leave at 6 AM Saturday morning.  We were super excited for a quick trip to visit some of our favorite people!

 This was the first time we had flown Frontier, but with flights under $200/person and booking them the day before we left we felt like it was a deal that we could not give up!  We woke up bright and early Saturday morning thinking our flight was at 6:45 and headed to the airport.  We figured the airport would be pretty dead and the security line would be short.  We got there shocked to find the line incredibly wrong, and our flight was at 6:15, not 6:45.  After a very stressful long wait in the security line, we took our bags and rushed to the gate which was terminal B.  After running with our luggage (we only had backpacks to save money and not pay for baggage) and getting to the farthest gate on terminal B the gate agent tells us the flight was moved to terminal D and we had 3 minutes to get there before the gate closed.  There was another lady behind us so we quickly turned around and made a mad dash to terminal D where we were once again at the farthest gate.  Sweating in our winter coats, we made it just in time before the doors closed.  It seems that it happened to a lot of people because there were quite a few people running through the airport to our gate.  Sweating in our winter coats, we were just happy to have made the flight!

After a quick flight we landed in Chicago and then took the train into the city where Ag lives.  We walked past a cute farmers market before making it to her apartment which is a beautiful apartment in a highrise overlooking the lake!  Man do I miss Chicago with that view!  Once we arrived Ag cooked up an amazing breakfast with eggs, sautéed veggies, bacon, and sweet potatoes.  We sipped on our coffee and tea and enjoyed catching up.  After that it was time to spend some time outside.  The perk about booking a last minute flight is that you know what weather you will be having.  This has been an oddly warm winter so we were coming into 60+ degree weather in November in Chicago!  We had to spend some time outside!  We walked down the lake, went to the pier and relaxed there for a while, and then headed back to Agatha’s place.  After a couple hours outdoors and an early flight we needed a nap before dinner time!  After a quick nap it was time to get dressed and head to dinner!

Agatha had made reservations at Frontier which is a well-known restaurant in Chicago.  Although you can order whole animals, including alligator, we went for a lot of appetizers and split two entrees.  We enjoyed so many unique foods like duck tacos, duck heart skewers, turtle bolognese, rabbit liver, alligator legs, and I am sure so much more!  Joe and I split the chicken sandwich which I am pretty sure was the most amazing chicken sandwich I have ever had while Agatha and Wojciech had some elk brisket.  Everything was amazing and I think it is one of our top restaurants we have eaten at because it wasn’t super expensive and the food was right up our alley!  After that we headed to Wojciech’s party!  He rented out a room at The Bedford which was a really cool bar that had been converted from an old bank.  It was such a neat setting and we had a room in the back with our own bartender and some amazing appetizers that were passed around.  It was fun seeing some old friends that I had met in my short stint in Chicago and meeting new friends! Joe and I got tired pretty early since it had been such a long day so we headed to bed before it got too late.  We took an Uber back to Agatha’s place and were fast asleep in no time!

We woke up bright and early in the morning since the sun rises right where the windows are looking over the lake.  We laid around for a while before getting dressed and meeting one of Joe’s friends for brunch at Elly’s Pancake House.  I had the most amazing crepes there that were super healthy!  They were filled with Greek yogurt and berries and drizzled with honey on top!  I could eat those every day.  We had the best company for brunch, and then after brunch we met back up with Agatha and Wojciech at their brunch/lunch location.  They finished up eating and then we picked up the bikes to go on a bike ride!  Ag had 4 bikes so we hit the road with the bike squad and drove down to the peer and then saw some sail boat racing going on a bit past the peer.  We made it to Millennium Park where a lot has changed since I was living there.  We explored the park and then made our way back home.  We then packed up our stuff and headed down closer to downtown to have some reach Chicago hotdogs (I got an Italian sausage) from Downtown Dogs and grabbed desert from Ghirardelli.  Desert was to die for…the salted caramel hot chocolate was quite amazing and the Sunday we got was just the cherry on top of our mini trip!  Sadly, it was time to head to the airport to catch a late night flight back home and rejoin the real world.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends that entertained us all weekend and we absolutely adore them.  It makes me miss Chicago so much, but for now weekend getaways there will have to suffice.   

Two cuties bike riding

Traveling the US, one week at a time...

This past week was quite a crazy week for me!  I hadn't traveling in a couple weeks so it was time to get back on the road and meet with customers, so early Monday morning I hopped on a flight to Chicago for some meetings Monday and Tuesday.  It was such a quick trip that was full of meetings so I didn't even get to see Agatha, and Tuesday evening I hopped on a flight to Baltimore.  Baltimore was a short trip too, with a full day of meetings Wednesday.  The highlight of this trip is that I got to see my lovely college roommate that lives a bit outside Baltimore.  We had amazing food at Waterfront Kitchen where we sat outside and enjoyed the harbor and beautiful weather.  I hadn't seen Caiti in quite some time and it was SOOOOOO good to catch up and see her!  It is so crazy how much life changes in just a couple of years!

Baltimore on a Beautiful Day

I flew into Atlanta on Thursday, just in time for GAMEDAY at Tech!!!!  Right before we left for the game we FINALLY mailed out our save the dates, so they should be arriving soon if they have not arrived yet!  We had a Thursday night game so of course after Joe got off work we headed to campus to tailgate and watch the game!  We ran into so many friends while tailgating and enjoyed spending time outside in the beautiful weather!  It is perfect tailgate/football season weather here in Atlanta.  The first half of the game we watched from the student section with some swimmers.  Although I only know a select few of the swimmers left on the team, it was great seeing them.  At halftime we headed up to the upper level to see Joe's parents.  We ended up staying up there and ran into my most avid blog reader/fan, Lane :)  Although the game didn't end quite like we had hopped, we had a blast.

Friday went by too quick, with a lot of work to do to follow up from the weeks travels and getting ready for the following week.  Before I knew it, it was time to cook dinner and then take a long walk with Joe and Rox.  Dinner was a crock pot brown sugar balsamic pork loin that I will post the recipe for later.  It was absolutely amazing!  Joe and I took a long walk after dinner around Chastane Park and then it was time to get packed for the weekend!

Saturday morning was an early morning as I headed to the airport to fly to California!  I have meetings in California all week, so since a great friend from college, Kristen, lives in Anaheim, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to explore some of Cali.  The day started off absolutely amazing when I got upgraded to first class for the 4 1/2 hour flight.  They served me breakfast and more snacks than I could ever eat.   I got a lot of work done on the flight, because what else would I do on such a long flight, and watched The Great Gadsby.  I could get use to this kind of treatment.  Due to the time change I got to Kristen's place around 11:30 or so, and we laid around for a bit before heading out for our afternoon hike.  We went to Peter's Canyon which is pretty much the desert.  We were feeling inspired and mapped a 6 mile hike, with no water (because I forgot mine at her house).  The hike was absolutely beautiful with a lot of hills and hot weather, but when we got to the finish we were glad to be done!  After getting home and showering we went to Kristen's coworker's house for drinks/food and before we knew it, it was late and time for bed (especially due to the time change).

Peter's Canyon Hike

We were both up and at it early in the morning and started the day with an amazing breakfast.  After breakfast we headed out for the day.  We started at Huntington Beach where we enjoyed some relaxation on the beach.  From there we headed to New Port Beach where we saw the cutest houses and relaxed on the beach a bit more before heading to Crystal Cove State Park for our hike for the day.  This hike was through the hills and we got some beautiful views of the water below and the hills surrounding us.  Once we were all done we walked just under 4 miles in beautiful weather that was a bit cooler than the day before.  The loop we did was an uphill hike the first half as you made it to the top of the hills then back down through the valleys so it was great to see the change in scenery.

Crystal Cove

Crystal Cove Hike

Beach Hopping in Cali

After the hike it was time to make it to the final destination of the day, Laguna Beach.  This is Kristen's favorite beach, and I now know why.  We grabbed an early dinner at a waterfront restaurant, OceanView Bar & Grill where we grabbed some amazing drinks and then for dinner split Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos and the Seafood Pasta which were both great!  I'm not sure which one I would order again if we went back.  After that we walked down the beach a bit and relaxed then watched the sun set into the water.  Laguna is so pretty because it has more of the rocks and boulders on the beaches making it beautiful to watch the sun set.  After the sun went down we headed to grab some gelato and had some amazing flavors.  I got green apple/lemon which reminded me of my many travels in Europe and Kristen got Oreo/Peanut butter Chocolate, and we pretty much ended up splitting both so that we could get the fruity and the sweet flavors.  Then it was time to head back and call it a night early so that we were both prepared for the week of work ahead of us.  I couldn't have asked for a better two days in Cali and I am so incredibly blessed to have such an amazing friend to host me.  I love the lifestyle here and quite frankly wouldn't mind living the beach lifestyle (some day!).  So now, it's time for a week of work out here in Cali before heading back to Atlanta late Friday night.  Happy Week Everyone!!!

Beautiful Sunset at Laguna

A week in Chicago!

This past week as soon as we got back from the cruise, I packed and unpacked and caught a flight to Chicago for our sales meeting.  Although it was an early morning, I am always excited to be back in Chicago for a bit!  After arriving, we got picked up by one of the local sales guys before heading to lunch at Lou Malnati's, which is my favorite Chicago Deep Dish Pizza!  After lunch it was time for the meeting to start, so we checked into the hotel then started learning :)

That evening we headed to Chicago Chophouse for our big dinner, and I must say it was one of the best dinners I have ever had.  The appetizers were great, and the filet was even better!  You know it's a great steak when you can cut it with a butter knife.  After dinner, we were all tired so we headed back to the hotel to answer some emails then headed to bed.

Wednesday, after my morning workout it was breakfast time at the hotel and then it was time for the meeting.  We did a really cool brainstorming activity to help us learn to think outside the box when coming up with solutions for our customers.  It was great to have a lot of interactions with my other team members and see how everyone else worked! Wednesday's activity was a game at Wriggley Field!  It was fun just relaxing and getting to know our team while watching the Cubbies play, and WIN!!!  We all know that doesn't happen too often.  After the game we went to a really neat Brazillian Sushi fusion restaurant, where we once again ate WAY too much!  Good thing I got two good workouts in that day :)

Thursday was another day of presentations (I even gave one) and Portillo's for lunch since that is a Chicago staple.  It was nice that we were staying down town because we could walk to all of the lunch places!  That evening we headed to Revolution Brewery which is a very small local brewery and did a brew tour before dinner.  After dinner we got some drinks on the top on the Hancock because it has THE best view of the city skyline and it is free to go up!  I love the Hancock and it is one of my favorite places to go in Chicago!

 

Friday was an open table discussion with topics we had put aside during the meeting, and before we knew it it was time for people to leave for the airport!  We grabbed lunch at the bar right next to the hotel before everyone headed out.  I was staying one more night with Ag, so I got late check out, then headed over to her place around 4:30 when she was done with work.

While Ag went on a run I took the bike so that I didn't hurt my ankle and took a bike ride down the lake which is what I miss the most about Chicago.  That evening we had a fun night, eating dinner at an absolutely amazing Greek restaurant then sitting on the rooftop with some of Ag's friends that I had met previously. Before I knew it it was Saturday morning so I hopped on the train and headed to the airport to fly home!  It is always nice being in Chicago and it was so great getting to do some more touristy things this trip!  On the flight hope I was upgraded to first class for the first time so that was SUPER exciting!  Hopefully that happens more often :)  After getting back to Atlanta, it was time for the busy weekend to start!

FIRST CLASS!!!

Last Week Before Home Ownership!!!

So now we finally have everything wrapped up and ready for closing, which was incredibly exciting.  With the townhouse being "almost ours" it was time to furniture shop! Although Joe and I have a lot of furniture already, we had never had to furnish a 3 bedroom house on our own.  This was the first time that we had to work together to pick out what we wanted, and since it was going to be nicer furniture, we had to make sure we loved it before spending a lot of money on it!  One last meal cooked in the old kitchen is below!  It is a very healthy and light recipe with Chicken!

Greek Chicken Skewers with Avocado Tzatziki

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 lbs Chicken

1 tbs. Greek Seasoning

½ tbs. garlic powder

½ tsp. rosemary

2 tbsp. olive oil

Dipping Sauce:
1 avocado

½ cup Greek yogurt

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. Greek seasoning

Directions:

• In a blender (or food processor), add avocado (make sure they are ripe enough!), Greek yogurt and lemon juice for tzatziki sauce. Process until smooth. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate (covered) until ready to eat.
• For the chicken, slice chicken breasts lengthwise into thin strips. Place in a large ziplokc bag. Add seasonings and shake until evenly coated.
• Using a bamboo skewer, thread strips of chicken onto skewer. Cook on grill or use a grill pan on the stove top over medium high heat. Add olive oil and add chicken. Cook about 4 minutes per side, remove when completely cooked.
• Serve hot chicken skewers with avocado tzatziki sauce.

Sooooo Good!

We spent quite a lot of evenings shopping online or in stores, and after deciding what we really needed right away vs. what could wait, we finalized the list for the most part at the end of last week.  Joe was planning on measuring the rooms in the houses on Sunday to make sure that everything would fit before we purchased it, so he would be doing all of the final buying decisions on his own!

Monday of this week I took a quick trip to Texas to visit one of my accounts, but then the remainder if the week was spent working from home.  The week was incredibly busy with work since my accounts are in the last months of getting everything together for next year, so I was very ready for the weekend to get here on Friday!  Meredith and Amber were coming down from Charlotte this weekend so I was VERY ready to see them :)  Friday evening we met up with them at Tin Lizzies for drinks and I got the most exciting surprise!  Amber was super sweet and gave me a beautiful bracelet from J Crew that her, Meredith, and Lauren already had so that I could join the BFF group!  After hanging out there for a bit it was time to head home and get a good night sleep because there was a lot to do Saturday.

BFF Bracelets

LOVE these girls!

 We woke up fairly early Saturday and I got a workout in while Joe started packing stuff up in the house.  After that, we headed to the GA Dome to tailgate for the Kenny& ZBB concert.  We were not going to the concert but this was the only full day I had to spend with them so we tailgated for quite a while!  It was so much fun and although it was a bit warm, it could have been way worse and it wasn't raining!!! That was a big step in itself!  After the concert we headed to Reza's place so that I could see my most favorite couple for a bit!  We watched the Braves game then headed to dinner with them before heading home for the night.  It had been a long day so we were definitely in for the night, especially since I was flying to Chicago in the morning! Since the AC was broken again, we had a wonderful slumber party in the downstairs living room (thank goodness my mattress is at Joe's place for easy set up!)

True Love

 

The Whole Group!

Sunday morning I was up bright and early to catch a flight to Chicago.  I had a early Monday AM meeting outside of Chicago so I would have had to fly up Sunday for the meeting.  I figure this was a wonderful opportunity to spend the day with my lovely Agatha!  I got late morning, and headed to her place.  I don't know how, but she convinced me to do an open water swim with her after that!  Ag, Marissa, and I took bikes down to the drop in point and swam a mile in Lake Michigan!  I prepared myself for it to be freezing but it actually wasn't that bad!  The worst part was the HUGE waves!  Luckily, we were all on the same page and took breaks every once in a while to chat so it broke up the swim because it really was choppy water!  After that we biked home and relaxed for a bit before starting our home made pizza experiment!  We started with the dough and made everything from scratch and it turned out AMAZING!!!!  It was such a fun day that went by way too fast, and before I knew it it was time to head to Michigan City.  It was such an amazing weekend and I always love coming up to Chicago and am looking forward to a great week of meetings up here!

Home Made Pizza!!!

BEAUTIFUL skyline

Old Apartment...man do I miss it!

Post 1 mile swim in Lake Michigan!

  Next time I blog, it will be about buying our new home!!!!! So, for now, have a lovely week :)