bugging me for a while. I discovered that for once financial aid did not manage to fuck up my account and everything (God willing) should be coming through on time funds wise. That's a relief - one that I didn't get all that often at UP. Oh UP, you disorganized bureaucracy you. I also got my new ID card and was astounded when the picture actually turned out somewhat decent. I will not be losing this card.We then hopped 
on the El once again for a whirlwind Chicago sight-seeing all-in-a-day trip. Mom and I headed up the Sears Tower (for my second time) and endured the crowds for an amazing view at the top. The weather was sunny and gorgeous today, although it was also still awfully cold. We could see miles in every direction and Lake Michigan looked like an ocean from that vantage point.
We then decided to wander around downtown Chicago for a while before heading up to Wrigley Field. We knew that any reference to Wrigley on our trip would please my dad to no end.
Also, as a side note, I would like to point out the fact that my paranoid parents who cautioned me endlessly about the perils of the big bad El, might have admitted they may have been wrong. A direct quote from my mother to my father on the phone about riding the El: "It's totally fine." Huh. Interesting.
I ended the evening in Chicago just the way my stomach had planned: with tastilicious deep dish pizza. Let me tell you, these Chicagoans are serious about their pizza. It took over a half an hour to make the damn thing and when it came I barely made it through a slice and a half before I was full. It was HUGE. (Note the ridiculous picture.)
In other news, Barack Obama is a rockstar here. Hells to the yes. These signs (below) were hanging from just about every lamppost downtown.
(Although, I couldn't help but mentally compare our iconic adoration of Obama to photos I've seen of people standing next to posters of General Mao in China. Not the same, I realize. But still funny.)
I've had several of you ask how I'm holding up out here post-move. To give a relatively non-vague answer, better than I thought. I'm all organized now and feeling fairly confident about my living situation. All of my roommates that I have met seem quite easy to get along with.
I got my school schedule today and found out that I have eight hour school days pretty much every day of the week. I'm scheduled for Journalism Methods, Journalism by the Numbers, Journalism Ethics and Law and one other I can't remember currently. One of them even has a five hour lab. This is going to be INTENSE. And yet, I'm pretty damn excited about finally having a challenge that I can rise to meet and about the opportunity to learn new, applicable and practical skills I can actually use in my future career. This is something I never had as an undergrad and I'm psyched to be able to move forward with a goal I've had since I was twelve.
On the downside, I miss my family terribly already. I feel like I didn't really get to spend enough time with my sisters individually - something I regret. And even thinking about my daddy makes me want to cry like a baby. I'm anticipating my mom leaving for home tomorrow evening and I'm not entirely sure I won't have a complete breakdown at that point. I'm definitely a bottler when it comes to emotion, but I can only bottle so much before it all explodes. I think that this experience will give me plenty of room to grow as an individual and find my own way in the world independently. (Me, independent, never. I know. lol.)
And of course, I miss my boy. I know it's been a relatively short amount of time since we started dating, but I'm pretty damn crazy about this one. I sincerely hope that we can make the plan for him to move out here mid-year (or even sooner?) work out. It's infinitely hard being in love and seperated from the only person you want to be around all the time. But if there was a ever a cause for me to be dedicated to entirely, this is it. I'm definitely working on that whole 'patience is a virtue' idea.
On the up side, there's a MSJ (master's in journalism) get together type suare tomorrow night. My "class" or the group of winter starts (about 40 people or so) will be getting together to meet up before school even starts. If this doesn't tell you what a bunch of overachievers we are, I don't know what will.
I miss you all! Feel free to skype/aim/call me in the evenings (I'm in central time FYI).
Peace, love, the El.
on the El once again for a whirlwind Chicago sight-seeing all-in-a-day trip. Mom and I headed up the Sears Tower (for my second time) and endured the crowds for an amazing view at the top. The weather was sunny and gorgeous today, although it was also still awfully cold. We could see miles in every direction and Lake Michigan looked like an ocean from that vantage point.We then decided to wander around downtown Chicago for a while before heading up to Wrigley Field. We knew that any reference to Wrigley on our trip would please my dad to no end.
Also, as a side note, I would like to point out the fact that my paranoid parents who cautioned me endlessly about the perils of the big bad El, might have admitted they may have been wrong. A direct quote from my mother to my father on the phone about riding the El: "It's totally fine." Huh. Interesting.
I ended the evening in Chicago just the way my stomach had planned: with tastilicious deep dish pizza. Let me tell you, these Chicagoans are serious about their pizza. It took over a half an hour to make the damn thing and when it came I barely made it through a slice and a half before I was full. It was HUGE. (Note the ridiculous picture.)In other news, Barack Obama is a rockstar here. Hells to the yes. These signs (below) were hanging from just about every lamppost downtown.
(Although, I couldn't help but mentally compare our iconic adoration of Obama to photos I've seen of people standing next to posters of General Mao in China. Not the same, I realize. But still funny.)I've had several of you ask how I'm holding up out here post-move. To give a relatively non-vague answer, better than I thought. I'm all organized now and feeling fairly confident about my living situation. All of my roommates that I have met seem quite easy to get along with.
I got my school schedule today and found out that I have eight hour school days pretty much every day of the week. I'm scheduled for Journalism Methods, Journalism by the Numbers, Journalism Ethics and Law and one other I can't remember currently. One of them even has a five hour lab. This is going to be INTENSE. And yet, I'm pretty damn excited about finally having a challenge that I can rise to meet and about the opportunity to learn new, applicable and practical skills I can actually use in my future career. This is something I never had as an undergrad and I'm psyched to be able to move forward with a goal I've had since I was twelve.
On the downside, I miss my family terribly already. I feel like I didn't really get to spend enough time with my sisters individually - something I regret. And even thinking about my daddy makes me want to cry like a baby. I'm anticipating my mom leaving for home tomorrow evening and I'm not entirely sure I won't have a complete breakdown at that point. I'm definitely a bottler when it comes to emotion, but I can only bottle so much before it all explodes. I think that this experience will give me plenty of room to grow as an individual and find my own way in the world independently. (Me, independent, never. I know. lol.)
And of course, I miss my boy. I know it's been a relatively short amount of time since we started dating, but I'm pretty damn crazy about this one. I sincerely hope that we can make the plan for him to move out here mid-year (or even sooner?) work out. It's infinitely hard being in love and seperated from the only person you want to be around all the time. But if there was a ever a cause for me to be dedicated to entirely, this is it. I'm definitely working on that whole 'patience is a virtue' idea.
On the up side, there's a MSJ (master's in journalism) get together type suare tomorrow night. My "class" or the group of winter starts (about 40 people or so) will be getting together to meet up before school even starts. If this doesn't tell you what a bunch of overachievers we are, I don't know what will.
I miss you all! Feel free to skype/aim/call me in the evenings (I'm in central time FYI).
Peace, love, the El.
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