Winter is Coming...

     We went to Chicago for my birthday weekend and had a blast! We drove in from Madison on Friday and started our weekend with a scrumptious sushi dinner. Saturday was my actual birthday and we spent the entire day exploring the city. It was so beautiful and nothing like I expected. The sidewalks of downtown were crawling with people and between the hustle and bustle and the towering skyscrapers, Chicago reminded me of a cleaner, better-smelling New York.

The view from our room- Buckingham Fountain and Lake Michigan in the distance

2nd anniversary of my 29th birthday!

     We spent Saturday exploring the city. Aaron has been to Chicago countless times but he let me play tourist the entire weekend. We took the architecture boat tour and paid a visit to Willis Tower where I did a little yoga in the sky box. That night, we visited Second City- a comedy club that has served as a springboard for many SNL stars including Mike Meyers and Tina Fey. We were randomly seated in the front row and I was laughing for two hours straight. 

We were waiting in line for two hours! I needed to stretch!

                              The Second City stage

     On Sunday, we ate pancakes for breakfast and took our coffee to go to do a little more site-seeing before we headed back to Madison. We visited Millennium Park including the obligatory visit to the Cloud Gate sculpture (The Bean) and The Crown Fountain. We ended up at the Buckingham Fountain. It was the perfect weekend and one of the best birthdays I've ever had!

The Boeing Gallery

The Crown Fountain

Aaron approves of The Bean

Buckingham Fountain's hourly water display

My parents sent flowers to meet me in Chi-Town!

          Back in Madison, we have finally fully settled into our apartment. It is beautiful and warm and full of lots of natural light. The animals have completely adjusted to their new space and are as happy as ever. Aaron and I continue to spend our weekends walking around town, eating at new restaurants and generally scoping out the city. We finally made it into the capitol building, where we ventured to the observation deck to get a 360 degree view of Madison. 

Our cozy living room

Mowgli will never take furniture for granted again

Family portrait

Chairs lined up for a wedding at Monona Terrace

Wisconsin State capitol building

The northeasterly view from the observation deck

                                    

                                                     Madison fire department festival on The Square

         

                      Sometimes we take the train tracks home (our building is the last one on the right)

     In the last few weeks, we have been marveling at the beauty of the trees as their leaves change color. It is absolutely stunning and the trees seem to be glowing. It is a sign that the brutally cold winter is on its way. Almost every day, I receive some sort of sympathetic comment about this being my first Midwestern winter and the concept is too abstract for my brain to process. However, I am optimistic about my ability to adapt! I have built up my winter wardrobe and have been practicing dressing appropriately as the temperatures start to drop. Winter is coming but I'm ready to take it on!

Khi is also preparing for winter

     I will be finishing up my physical therapy school applications this week. I am also interviewing for a massage job at a high-end spa this Thursday.

Upcoming Events:

10/24: Aaron and I are going to see Dave Chapelle at The Orpheum downtown

10/25: We hope to get tickets for the UW homecoming game

11/1: Deadline for PT applications

Thanksgiving: We are headed to Miami for Thanksgiving on the beach!

Hello Wisconsin!

     Aaron flew into Houston on Friday, August 29th. We had dinner with my parents that night and woke up at 5:00 Saturday morning to make the 11-hour drive to Kansas City. The drive went as well as it could have considering the distance and the fact that I had two sedated animals in the back seat of my tiny Honda Civic. They call it a coupe for a reason! We arrived in Kansas City, Aaron's hometown, and I was greeted with a huge hug from his mom, whom I was meeting for the very first time. She had already set up a room for the animals, complete with cat box, food/water bowls and treats! His parents couldn't have made our arrival any easier and I felt very comfortable and welcomed in a brand new city under the stresses of a cross-country move. 

Khi's back seat suite

Mowgli on drugs

     Sunday's drive was much easier. Only seven hours! Aaron drove through downtown Kansas City, where we crossed the Missouri River. It's a beautiful city and I hope to spend more than 12 hours there one day. 

Bridge over Missouri River

     Although no one likes to be in the car for two days straight, the drive itself was a great experience. I watched as the scenery changed  into the sprawling farmlands of Iowa. For over five hours, we drove through beautiful, green countryside with rolling hills, farm houses and corn fields. Finally, we arrived to Dubuque, Iowa, where we crossed the Mississippi River which serves as the border between Iowa and Wisconsin. We had made it to our new state!

Crossing the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa

Mississippi River

Wait... where?

   

Within 10 minutes of crossing the border, we were greeted by this guy: how appropriate!

     After only an hour and a half of countryside that closely resembled the sprawling green of Iowa, we entered the city of Madison. Suddenly, out of nowhere, we turned a corner and found ourselves driving up Highway 151, with the Madison skyline on the left, and Lake Monona on the right. This beautiful, pulsing, active city seemed to pop up out of nowhere. The trail along the lake was cluttered with cyclists and joggers and the capitol building remained in prominent view in front of and behind us as we made our way through the city.

Madison skyline across Lake Monona

     Over the past few weeks, we have both been very busy. We have endured what has felt like a painfully slow trickle of furniture deliveries, which has made setting up our home seem to last forever. But we are in the home stretch and have created a beautiful, functional living space. We have established a routine for the most part and we make pretty great roommates! 

     While Aaron is tackling the demands of his new job, I spend my days volunteering in two separate physical therapy settings. I am currently volunteering in the acute-care PT department of St. Mary's hospital, where I spend my time in the neurological wing; something that interests me greatly. St. Mary's is a 15 minute walk from our place so, as long as it's not raining, I enjoy walking to the hospital using the hike and bike trail that runs along the lake. I am also spending a significant amount of time at an outpatient orthopedic clinic on the northeast side of town. Otherwise, I am cooking healthy meals, walking around town running errands and working on getting my Wisconsin massage license. 

     During the evenings and on weekends, Aaron and I are busy exploring Madison and finding fun things to do. It is a happening town (at least during the summer/fall months) and there is always some new place or event to discover. 

The sun rising over Monona Bay (our "backyard")

Khi greets the morning and yearns for fresh duck for breakfast

The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile is a common sight in Madison

The Wisconsin State Capitol building

Khi keeps watch over our apartment courtyard

Aaron and me at the Wily Street Fair

We were lucky enough to catch the last night of "Jazz at Five": a weekly Jazz concert on the square that surrounds the capitol building. Great jazz music and even better people-watching!

The moon rising over Lake Monona

     Last weekend, Jorie came to visit from Palm Springs, CA. We drove to Appleton, WI, where we visited her mom and lots of other family. We spent the day in Door County, which consists of the peninsula considered the "thumb" of the "glove" that makes up the shape of Wisconsin. It was the perfect day for a drive through small towns with restaurants and cute shops selling fudge, cheese curds and all things cherry (Door County is known for its cherry crops). The sun was out, the air was crisp, I ate too much and there was a goat on a roof made of grass!

Lake Michigan

Some things I've noticed about Madison/Wisconsin:

1) People here are VERY friendly. I had no expectations one way or the other but I am struck by the warmness exhibited by almost every stranger I meet. I thought Texas held the monopoly on friendliness!

2) When people discover I am from Texas, the are blown away by my lack of an accent. I explain to them that while I may not have what they would expect to be a Texas accent, I will say "y'all" every chance I get.

3) I am NOT prepared for the winter. We had a cold front come through last week and I suddenly  noticed that (a) over half of my wardrobe is sleeveless and (b) absolutely none of my shoes/boots are waterproof.

     

4) Sports are a VERY BIG DEAL here.

Upcoming plans:

-Weekend of 9/20: We are going to Chicago for my birthday weekend (I've never been!)

-10/15-10/17: My friend Ana is visiting from Lafayette. We are going to see Beats Antique in downtown Madison and then we will spend a couple of days checking out the Wisconsin Science Festival

-10/18-10/19: Aaron and I will be watching his sister, Becca, sing the National Anthem at the St. Louis Rams game in St. Louis, MO.