Looking For a Good Read?

Looking for something good to read?  If so, if you look to the right, I've made a list of the most recent books I've read and highly recommend.  Well...most of them I've read and a few are a work in progress.  Since I've been in Chicago, I've spent a lot of time reading.  I try to keep a steady balance between the chick flick type of books and books that I can learn something from.  I've been wanting to read Kite Runner, but I need to finish the 3 other books I'm in the middle of.  If anyone has any recommendations, let me know!  

Outnauguration

To celebrate the this historical day and the innauguration of our first African American president, and in honor of President Bush leaving office after 8 (fill in the blank with adjective of your choice, wonderful, horrible, etc) years, I leave you with this video sent to me by my friend Claire...

Hope v. Calvin

Rachael, Claire and I

On Saturday my friends and I went to Zella, a local bar/restaurant that hosted a Hope v. Calvin rivalry party for the big game. There were quite a few recent Hope grads, so it was fun to catch up with everyone. I'll admit, I did a lot more socializing than watching! Unfortunately, Hope lost by a mere 2 points...but fortunately there weren't many Calvin fans there to rub it in our faces!

Ryan and I

Change

Change. It's one of the buzzwords of 2008, and even though I'm living in Obamaland I'm not referring to Barack Obama's "Change". I'm talking about a change in my own life. This past year has brought an abundance of change for me. In May of 2008, I graduated from Hope College and experienced one of the biggest changes in my life. I had left the safety net of college and entered the real world. I went from worrying about what classes to take next semester and what I was doing on the weekend to worrying about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. It was like nothing I had experienced before. I talked big about moving away, possibly across the country. When it came down to it, I really had no idea what I wanted. A few months ago, I finally made a decision. Well, I decided I wanted to move to Chicago. As to where my life is going, that's still up in the air. I've come to the conclusion that I'm only 23, I don't need to know where the rest of my life is going. I don't need nor do I want the rest of my life mapped out for me. I'm happy where I am, and I'm excited to see what this city has in store for me. A brief summary of some of the changes I've experienced since my move....

I no longer live at home with my parents, I now have the pleasure of telling people I live in Lakeview with a roommate I found on Craigslist. I no longer drive my car on a daily basis, sometimes I even forget where it is parked. My main mode of transportation is my own two feet or public transportation. My morning and afternoon commutes are spent on the "L", where I hope to get a window seat. I always pack a book to read, but the sights of the city never seem to get old. You're probably wondering where I'm going on my commute! My days are no longer spent sending out numerous resumes and cover letters, because I recently got at a real estate development company downtown Chicago, just a short commute from my apartment and just a few blocks from the Sears Tower!

Although I've experienced quite a bit of change during the past few months, I don't really feel like that much has changed since I've been here. I'm still just a small town girl, living life in the big city. I'll leave you with a glimpse of the past few weeks here in Chicago...

Lake Michigan, a little piece of home!

Ryan and I walked down to Wrigley Field on New Years Day to check out the Winter Classic.

Night out at Duffy's

Checking out the Bean

Have a great day, and stay warm!