Update: I did NOT get lost on my first day! 

In other news, I'm wrapping up the second week of my internship, and lemme just say--TGIF! These past two weeks have been incredibly exciting and equally as exhausting. And to think I sometimes couldn't roll out of bed, throw on  shorts and a t-shirt, and make it to my 10 AM classes on time?! Reality check! Adjusting to this schedule was definitely a struggle at first, but I'm catching on and learning my lessons with each day. For example: don't drink coffee after 2 PM or else you will toss and turn at night and feel judged by your FitBit when you can't fall asleep. Napping is for the weak and it will ruin everything. Ditch the nap and go on a run instead. And check the weather before you dip out without a raincoat or rain boots. It will start raining and you will have to ditch your flats and run barefooted to the train station if you're not prepared. But, there is something surreal about the whole experience. I take the train to work every morning with hundreds of other Chicagoans, walk the city streets with thousands of other young professionals each day, eat lunch by the river, do all the marketing things (aka the real reason why I'm here), ride the train to get home, go for sunset runs by the lake, eat, sleep, repeat. It's the coolest routine ever and so so different from any lifestyle I've ever lived before, and I'm LOVING it. 

It's official. I'm never leaving this place. A weekend of solo adventuring around a new city offered a refreshing perspective and some time for me to really appreciate my new surroundings. After landing at the airport, Dorothy's mom, Jill, picked me up and brought me to my apartment. My roommate was at a barbecue but took some time to drop off the keys. We didn't have a chance to talk much, but that's okay because it gave me some time to do my own thing and get settled. I knew I didn't have much daylight left, so I dropped my bags and set out to explore the area. I was most curious about the lake, so I went  to find the underpass which I had already scoped out on Google Maps. I'm living right next to Lakeshore Drive, one of the main highways in the area. It separates the city from Lake Michigan. Once I crossed under the underpass, I ended up on this incredible running/walking/biking trail that goes alongside the lake! I can't wait to go on a run there soon. Running doesn't seem so bad when you have ^ this view!

Sunday was my first full day of solo adventuring. When I woke up, I unpacked all of my things and then decided to do a test run of my work commute. The Sheridan Red Line station is the closest El stop to my place--about a ten minute walk. I was still (and still am) using my GPS to navigate everywhere, so I didn't time the trip on my first go around. After finding my building and eating lunch down by the river, I decided to head back to my place and time my commute. 37 minutes including walking and getting back up to my room--not terrible!  While I was on the train back to my place, I noticed that there was a festival happening near the Belmont stop (two stops south of mine), so I decided that I was going to check it out after I finished my timed trial. Festival-ing by yourself is a completely different experience than festival-ing with friends. I did a lot of pacing from one end of the festival to the other--I mean I didn't want to just stand there awkwardly the whole time, and when I did stand around awkwardly, I tried to make it appear as though I was searching for my non-existent friends. But as the night continued on, I became more comfortable in my aloneness, and I enjoyed the music and company. Nonetheless, I had a great night out in the city enjoying the beautiful weather and vibrant scene. 

Chicago, I love you (sorry, Athens). Here's to a summer of [solo] adventuring!
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MJ