Good Old Chicago!

So thanks to some GREAT people that helped cover my shifts, Kristin Blough, Ginger, and AJ (Kristin and AJ are Drake students), I was able to go home for a week before the semester started. This was my week of vacation to account for the whole summer...NO work, NO school, NO nothing....until I started getting emails from professors about classes, calls from work, and questions from parents about tuition bills.

In between all the worries I tried to take advantage of the few days while at home in Mt. Prospect, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Even though I have lived here since I was a kid, I still love going downtown to see the same sites that change year by year as well as exploring things I have never done. Chicago is awesome because it has so MUCH to offer and is constantly changing. I went downtown a few days to check out the traditional favorites like: Navy Pier, hang out at the beach, see the 'Bean' and Millennium Park, Buckingham fountain, shopping on Michigan Ave, Rush Street, the daily markets, my friends going to school in the city colleges, and so much more.

The Chicago Air and Water show was fantastic as it is every year. The boats are beautiful while the planes are all different. The stunts and performances that are put on in the water and in the air are unbelievable. I would love to feel the same adrenaline rush that the performers feel, it would be heart pumping. Pictures are included.

I also got to try some new things, like an architectural tour of the city while riding along the Chicago river. It was great because it was an hour and a half of awesome views, amazing information, and unbelievable weather. I realized that washing the windows on the tall buildings might just be worth the $35 an hour that the washers make. I took tons of pictures as you can see below. The tour was expensive but no worries because my parents paid :)

I introduced my parents to a Chicago past time by taking them to their first Ravinia performance. It was a gift for their anniversary. Ravinia is a large outdoor venue that hosts a range of musical talent including orchestras, bands, singers, etc. My parents, my sisters, and I took a picnic and listened to a Reggae band perform. I have attended other performances and I think my parents found a new favorite thing to do.

The week turned out so good that I do not want to go back to Drake quite yet. I am not ready for classes and could use another week of fun.