Bye Beantown, Hello Windy City

So, the past few weeks have been crazy. Like really crazy. In less than a month, I accepted a job in Chicago, sold most of my furniture, moved out of my apartment in Boston, rented a mini-van, drove halfway across the country, moved into a studio apartment in Chicago and started work at PR agency in Chicago. My head is still spinning a little. Don't get me wrong, I loved Boston. Really loved it. (Seriously, check out all of these great memories I have there.) But I always knew I would find myself in Chicago in the next few years. Did I think 2015? No. But everything sort of just fell into place. And I'm a true believer that some things are just meant to be, and if all the signs are saying go for it - you better effing do it. So I did it.

(Home sweet home)

I've gotta give a major thanks to Babcia and Poppy because they helped so much in the moving/setting up a new apartment process. I've never lived completely by myself before. I've had a variety of unique living situations, but never completely by myself. I wasn't sure how much I would like it at first - I'm a people person, I like company and people to talk to and do stuff with. But so far, (maybe I'm jumping the gun by saying this because I've only been in the apartment for two weeks) but I LOVE it.

The space is small. Like really small. Do you know how small 350 sq ft is? Neither did I. But I sure do now. Honestly, at times it feels like a glorified dorm room. I can see my bathtub and kitchen sink all from my bed. I'm taller than my refrigerator. My bathroom may be larger than my kitchen. But it's great and it's all mine. That's what I love about it. All 350 sq ft of it are mine.

I haven't been able to do much exploring of the city yet (and haven't really wanted to since the weather has been cold, wet and windy) but I can't wait to. There's so much to do right in my neighborhood! And my commute to work is SO easy (pending traffic it can be as quick as 15 minutes door to door with about 4 minutes of walking).

I can't wait to document what my new adventures here will bring - I've already had a couple!

Recent Reads: Yes Please

I don't think I've ever read a memoir before but I think Amy Poehler's Yes Please was a great one to start with. The book is very conversational, it feels like Amy Poehler is just causally talking to you in your living room - sharing her life experiences and thoughts on different topics.

I grew up watching Amy perform on SNL and loved to hear her take on things. She discusses growing up just outside of Boston, the birth of her children, the beginnings of her career, her time on SNL and her work on Parks and Recreation. She touches on her divorce and throws in bits of wisdom and life lessons. The book is funny. It's relatable. It's very worth reading.

The book itself is fun to read. Amy adds color by sprinkling old candid photos, scraps of paper and notes, and fun quotes to live by. A few of my favorites below:

(I actually half disagree with this one.)

Amy also discusses her work on Amy Poehler's Smart Girls - a wonderful site that I just learned of and that you should definitely check out.

This book is so worth reading if you're looking for an enjoyable, uplifting and relatable book. Also, I'd just like to put it out there that I really think if Amy Poehler and I ever met we would be best friends.

Rowing Life Lessons: #2 Losing Doesn't Mean You Failed

I'm a fairly competitive and bossy person by nature. When I was little, most of the games I staged with my little sister were really contests - dance contests, cartwheel contests, hula hoop contests, diving contests, - you get the picture. And I was always very dead set on winning all of these contests. I even would alter the rules of the board game Pretty, Pretty Princess to ensure that I always won. (Thank god I have a fairly low key sister who just went along with my antics because otherwise I'm sure a lot of hair pulling would've been involved.)

I like winning.

Recent Reads: Unaccustomed Earth

So... I actually didn't really like this book. I received this book as part of book club holiday book swap. (I swapped The Art of Racing in the Rain which is an unexpectedly amazing read and a real tear jerker.)

I didn't dislike reading the Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri - it was well written and enjoyable to get through. But I guess I found it lacking a real plot line. The book tells eight different stories of Bengali families. I kept expecting the plot lines to intersect and for the reader to suddenly realize that all of the stories were connected but it didn't and left me feeling slightly disappointed. I also expected the author to revisit each of the stories later on in the book to give some closure to the tale but she didn't.

(Starting the book in Logan Airport on my flight home for Christmas... that gives you an idea of how long it took me to get through.)

Maybe I missed the point to this book? Maybe it just went over my head? As I got towards the end of the book and realized there wasn't going to be any grand revelation, I frankly just wanted it to end and found myself rushing through the last few pages just to be done with it.

At least I finished it?

Rowing Life Lessons: #1 People Matter Most

Rowing has taught me so much. From the obvious of how to steer a boat and the nuances of the stroke, to the less obvious lessons that I talked about here. But some of the lessons have gone even further than that and have truly shaped me as a person.

(4 whole years)

One of those lessons is that people matter most. Sometimes, when I look back at my collegiate rowing career I think to myself Why did I do that for so long? That was miserable. And there were moments of it that truly were: early mornings; long, cold hours spent on the water; missing out on tailgates and Friday nights at the bar; the criticism and scrutiny; the stress of always needing to the best; the personality clashes and screaming matches; the tears and disappointment - none of it seems very fun.

Cross Country Skiing

As I mentioned before, we decided to end our long Galentine's Weekend with a spontaneous day trip to Weston's Ski Track just 15 minutes outside of Boston. I have never been on any sort of skis before and was a little nervous that I would just be doing the splits the entire time. But after a few small falls in the beginning, I sort of got the hang of it.

(Such a winter wonderland)

XC Skiing is an awesome work out. Just like pretty much everything I do, I tried to compare the activity and the motion to rowing and I think it had some definite similarities. The majority of the motion comes from your legs, but you're also engaging a lot of other muscle groups such as your abs, back, butt, and even arms for stability, support, and balance.

Fresh Bruschetta

Who doesn't love appetizers? Most times at a restaurant it's the first thing my eyes go to on the menu. One of my personal favorites is some fresh bruschetta and I think I've gotten pretty good at making it myself.

I've used this recipe a handful of times to bring as an app to dinner parties or sometimes just as dinner  for myself. I've also gotten creative with it and topped tilapia with it for a more complete meal. I think the best part of bruschetta is how quick and easy it is to make, all it involves is a little bit of chopping!

(This photo is from the bruschetta tilapia dinner I made a few years ago. So good and fresh with a glass of white wine!)

Ingredients
4 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 red onion
A handful of fresh basil leaves
1 cup of balsamic
1/3 cup oil (+ a small amount more to drizzle over the bread)
A pinch of salt
A loaf of crust bread
Grated parmesan cheese

1. Start by chopping up the onion, tomatoes and basil into small pieces and combine in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the balsamic, olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.
3. Slice bread into about 1/2 in thick slices. Add a swipe of olive oil to the top and bake for about 5 minutes at a low heat.
4. Remove the bread from the oven, top with about a tablespoon of the bruschetta mixture and sprinkle some parmesan on top.
5. Enjoy!

The other great thing about bruschetta is none of the proportions need to be exact. I rarely measure or time anything when I'm making it and its so easy to modify to your own taste!