The day has arrived!

I can't believe that after all of the frustrations that this day is here AND that I am going home. I fly out tonight. I will rent a car and drive to Grampa's to sleep for a few hours. I will then continue my drive home on Saturday so that I can play with Jon's kids before they have to head back home. I can't wait to meet Ezra.

It will be a busy trip, but it will be worth it. I feel like there are so many people I wont get to see, but that is part of the problem when you do not live near home. I didn't realize how much I would miss the summer reunion until after it was passed. I really enjoy seeing my cousins, my great aunts and uncles, and all of those other wonderful folks that are too numerous to name. While I may not live close by, my family is close to my heart and is a very big part of who I am. Okay, I may not be this sentimantel by the end of next week, but I do love my family.

It is strange though, I have friends who take vacations to crazy places and I find that when I have to choose between going somewhere "cool" or visiting my family, I'll pick family. I'd rather live in those "cool" places and experience them that way than spend a week on a beach in Mexico. For some of these friends, their parents live very close by, so going away isn't as big of a deal. Others are also still in school and have more break options. Thankfully my family lives in a decent place to visit. I tell people where I am going and they always say things like "Oh, I have always wanted to go there" or "I went there once when I was little" or "I have a friend who went/lives/has a summer house there."

It is also strange that I am able to find my way around Chicago without a map, guided by a general sense of where I am and knowledge of the main roads, on the north site mostly, but when stuck in my home state I need directions, a map and even then there is a chance that I might get lost. My built-in navigation system relies on street signs mostly and my home state seems to think a field or a familiar farm house should be sufficient. I will probably have more to say on this after my six hour road trip tonight and tomorrow. In my home state's defense, my sense of direction does not extend out to the suburbs either, so I think there is something about me that is meant to live in a city. (Side note: The two cities that I have lived in extensively have been well planned and orderly. I will find it interesting to see how my city sense does in other, more free flowing, cities.)

Farewall summer!

The end of summer has completely run away from me. I feel as though just yesterday I was moving into my apartment and now I am about to go off on vacation and when I return it will be fall.

I also took a trip out to my school this evening and seeing all of the kids back on campus also reminds me that summer is over. I will be teaching swim lessons this fall on Saturdays so that I can keep my certifications current. I will likely work a few life guarding shifts in throughout the fall as I was informed by the director that I can earn a higher pay as a swim instructor if I am a current lifeguard. I did not know this before because I always did both.

While out at the pool meeting I met up with the swim teacher that took over my private lessons when I left and I found out that the littlest one is now swimming. It makes me miss my former swim kids even more.

Also tonight I had dinner with two of my friends and former residents from my floor last year. That combined with a online message from another resident saying she misses me AND one of my dearest friends from school spending the weekend with me, but today returning to the east coast... I feel lonely for the first time this summer. It's not a bad lonely. It's a healthy reminder that there are people out there that you miss and that they miss you. Tomorrow night I am going to the final out door movie with several of my friends and Friday I am off to see my family!

On a side note: I LOVE MY JOB! I loved being greeted in the morning with happy giggles and smiles. Watching his face light up when he realizes that I have again come to play with him. I love watching him stare with amazement at the simplest things. Six months is really one of my favorite stages.

I am coming home!

With the help of one of my darling sisters I was able to find affordable plane tickets that will get me home in time to see my brother's new addition as well as my sister's new addition. I was trying not to get my hopes up, but I can't believe how excited I am now that it's all set.

It's a new day, each day.

Going home may work out for me after all. I wont know for sure until Friday.

Also, I FINALLY bought a new cell phone today. My last was has been on its deathbed for AGES, but it wasn't until it stopped being able to text that I caved an got a new phone. So, I have a new phone and a new number. My old number will be working for a few more days, so call me or email me to get my new one. If I have your number in my phone I will be adding it tomorrow and texting everyone (who has a cellphone) my new number.

Biking adventure alert (Aunt V, maybe you shouldn't read this):
Today was a rainy day, but as it wasn't down pouring so I still biked to work. Coming home it was fine for the first part (before I stopped at the cell phone store), but when I was finishing up my purchase, it began to lightening and to rain much harder. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible and I still was about a two miles from home. I was so wet when I got home that I rung out my socks and my sneakers are just soaked through. There was loads of traffic because there was a Cubs game, but that tends to make the cars move slower so I can often just speed past them. The rain made it interesting, but I had my lights flashing so cars were really careful to give me room. Overall, I did not care for the amount of rain coming down, but found the whole adventure of very amusing. It was different from my usual trip home and that I liked a lot.

At least someone gets to go to my home state…. :(

I was planning on going home the first week of September to visit, to hopefully correspond it with visits from my sister and her family and my brother and his family. However, I knew my employers would be taking off a week in September and I didn’t want to further inconvenience them during that month as I had taken a day off in July and in August. I then considered going home when my employers are away, however they have been unable to tell me exactly when it was that they would take their vacation and this made it difficult to plan and buy plan tickets. I also am tight finically due to my roommate problem. This all compounded together to give me enough reasons to not go home. I figured I would then just go visit my sister and another friend for a few days and take the rest of the week to paint.

I found out today that not only are my employers going to my HOME STATE for their vacation, they are going the week that I wanted to be there. This really annoys, frustrates and depresses me. And because it is the week that I wanted to be there, my sister will be in our parents' home and not her home.

Now I am just homesick.

I love this city!

Yesterday I spent the afternoon downtown. I had to wait a bit for my friend to meet up with, so I was walking past one of the parks when I heard a band playing. I sat and listened to them and the next band in the line up until my friend arrived. And then we listened to drums playing while we ate lunch and we went to a wine tasting. I am not happy with the public transit, but everything else is going smashingly well.

Couch vs. Futon

My former roommate decided we didn’t need a couch and with all of her space taking stuff it wasn’t really possible, but now that she is gone I am feeling the empty space of the living room and hankering for something comfy to stretch out on. Previously I have very opposed to the idea of a futon. I have this vision of a big comfy couch and similar chair. But as I continually eye the prices of these visions and also the size of my stairway, I am beginning to rethink this vision. Although futons are less comfortable than big comfy couches, generally they can often be taken apart (thus transported up my stairway) AND they would double easily as a guest bed. These thoughts are all running through my head. Either way, now that I have my bike, this is the next item on my list of things to consider buying. My living room is pathetic right now – granted it feels like a hundred degrees in here, so who really wants to hangout here? But someday the weather will cool and I will want to layout on a couch and watch a movie… someday.

Also, I rode my bike to and from work today. I loved it. It took me much less time to travel, although I arrive in a rather gross state on either end. Thankfully I can shower at work (I brought a change of clothing) and I don’t have anywhere to go after work – at least not tonight.

I'm really urban now...

I bought a bike today. This is the city girls' version of a car. Only it's transportation and a gym in one. The 7.3 mile ride home (I mapped it on Google) from the bike shop, in the rain, was a blast. I really loved it. I had already read up on the biking rules and my bosses (avid bikers) went over things that were important (such as wearing real shoes instead of flip flops) with me, so I was prepared. I bought a hybrid mountain bike which is said to be the best for city biking. I bought a helmet, locks, lights for the front and back and a cup holder. So, I think I am set to go. The guys at the shop showed me how to most effectively lock up my bike, which I would have done completely wrong otherwise. The ride home was exhilarating. I started out on the back roads near the shop before I ventured onto the major roads to actually begin my trek home. Once I felt stable and comfortable I had a great time. I got used to the cars being so near me and made sure to watch for car doors opening and turning traffic. It was a bit longer to take the route that I took, but the main street near my house is a busy two lane road that I am not sure I am ready to bike on.

This experience is back to back with my weekend road trip to a town near St. Louis for a friend's wedding. Two friends and I rented a car and drove down together and shared a hotel room. We had a great time, but the other girl and I that drove have decided we aren't car people. It's just too stressful and expensive (gas). It's not worth it. I am happy with my urban transportation.

Oh, while down for the wedding we went site seeing to the Cahokia Mounds. They are the remains of a prehistoric Mississippian culture that was the largest prehistoric city north of Mexico. It was pretty sweet.