an odd sense of stability

So this is just a quick catch-you-up before I go to bed. I have this silly thing called "work" tomorrow morning. Bah.

I just realized today that this is the longest I have ever been in a single place. Sound strange? Let me explain.

Everywhere else that I've ever lived, I eventually had to leave to get groceries, see a movie, whatever. I have stayed IN the city of Chicago for three weeks now. I have not traveled to the burbs even... I have been in the same place for three weeks, and yet every day when I ride the bus it feels like I am passing through a dozen different countries. It's a strange sense of stability.

In other news, I spent the majority of my weekend exploring some of the things that just sound glorious to me. I went to the Chicago History Museum and learned about the El, the Great Fire, the World's Fair, and the Stockyards... it was really interesting, mostly because I'm a nerd, but also because history is cool. I also went to the Art Institute and spent hours looking at VanGogh, Renoir, Monet, Seraut, El Greco, O'Keefe, and other artists. I spent about an hour looking for American Gothic, and then I found a plaque about the size of a dollar bill that said it was on loan to some place in Iowa. I was mildly irritated and also slightly glad to find out that I was not going blind/crazy.

I also got a library card. Make fun of me if you will, but the downtown library is probably the most miraculous thing I've seen in years. It's so... pretty....

(again, I'm a nerd)

On Saturday I ran around town with my friend Autumn who goes to Moody. It was pretty excellent... we went to a photography exhibit at Colombia College about women in the Congo; it was incredibly moving. Then we wandered around and saw ice sculptures and the Cultural Center. There was some crazy art there and beautiful domed ceilings made of Tiffany glass. After we left, I tried Argo Tea for the first time (yum) and found out about a coffee place that will give you free coffee on Friday if you wear an orange shirt.

After that I hung out with the lovely Erin and we had ourselves a Valentine's Day date at a Chicago pizza place downtown. While we waited for our table (over an hour!) we went to Trader Joe's and explored. Very cool place, I must say. Then we enjoyed delicious deep dish... if that's not love, I don't know what is!

Today I did homework pretty much all day, but that's what I get for procrastinating... whoopsie.

More eventually, assuming my internet holds out! Happy Valentine's Day!