Chicago

Met up with my bosom buddy Şebnem in Chicago. She was visiting from Turkey. This is how I feel when I’m with Şebnem: 

Jumpin’ [at the] Bean

We visited a few charming restaurants–Chicago is more of a meat loving foodie town than a veg-friendly one, but the vegan carrot coconut pecan pancakes and freshly pressed juice at Meli Cafe were delicious enough to have two mornings in a row. 

Pancakes, round two

Adventures in the city included strolling  along the water at Navy Pier, a bit of shopping, taking selfies on the Sky Deck (103rd floor of the former Sear Tower—the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere 😱), the giant Bean (Cloud Gate sculpture), Thai food at Silom 12 (I highly recommend!), and meeting up with friends. 

Between walking and discovering and laughing our way through the city with Şebnem, I was also able to catch up with my favorite Cooks County police investigator, a former classmate of mine. (Who would have thought that my partner in crime while studying abroad in Spain would turn out to be a law enforcer?). Only she could make a bullet proof vest look chic. 

Another highlight of my trip was a yoga class with Cassandra. Our paths had crossed once through a mutual acquaintance, but we’d never met. It was a happy coincidence that none of the regulars showed up to the lunch time class right before Thanksgiving, so I got a private session! Cassandra is bubbly and lovely and an amazing and encouraging yoga teacher.   

3 Legged downdogs with Cass

I spent the last bit of my time in Chicago on the south side. I was mostly catching up, cooking, and practicing yoga with Dominique, an artsy, creative type I met at a dance team audition at Howard University. (Her leaps and turns were on point.) I also met my friend DC and his twin sister, and friends for a session of hippy meditation. 😉 

Yoga with Dominique

All in all, a perfect trip, and I’m headed back to DC to my family and my puppy for Thanksgiving dinner. Well, I hope there’s some dinner, anyway.