Am I a tourist? Or resident?

For the first time in my year of living in Chicago, I went to Millennium park!

Weird, right? It was an amazing day out today, even though it was so windy I had to rub sand all from my eyes. I dragged my roommate Sarah out because even though I've lived here nearly a year, I've yet to do the typical, tourist-y like things. We started off wanting to go to the beach, but since I stepped outside and simple dust blew in my face and even in my mouth several times, the idea of a place filled with sand didn't seem too appealing anymore. So, instead, we went to Noodles & Co, where I eat a delicious, amazingly yummy and wish to have more of Mac 'N Cheese. It was vegetarian! Which I am still on, and starting Monday it'll be a full week but only several days in and I am feeling great!

There has been some hard moments where I remember foods that I especially love - Mom's delicious home made tacos, or Subway, Subway, Subway! Yes, I am still stuck on the whole Subway thing but eventually it'll pass, or so I hope. I'll buy myself so many delicious food this summer which will hopefully kill any lingering feelings of wanting a meat filled, pickle and pepper drowning sandwich that happens to be an amazingly appealing price. It'll pass, it'll pass! Now back onto my tourist-y day. After we ate at Noodles & Co, we found that Millennium park was mere steps away and so was The Bean! Not that I believe The Bean is capitalized like so, but it makes it look much more appealing than the bean.

Or maybe that's just me.

Even though we took a picture of the side that typically isn't taken pictures of, as the other side of this amazingly huge, reflective surface is the city Skyline. It was much fun to run underneath, look around and lay underneath like a typical tourist. I've seen The Bean many times before, but this was in nice weather and that is such a rare occurrence! It was a panic induced visit though, as the camera was dying and we had to quickly get as many shots as we possibly could before it died and when it died, we merely sat there till its juices started running again and snapped several more photos! And yes, we even did take the reflection photo and yes, I did start my sentence with an and.

Then I just ended it with one, crazy, huh?

After staring at The Bean, we went to go lay in the grass.

I have such an intense love for being in the grass and rolling around, as I demonstrated by rolling around. It was nice to feel the breeze and to be surrounded by the city but not to have to smell it, instead trees and grass and flowers, as the city is blooming with all these purple and yellow tulips! It's so gorgeous and reminds me why I am really loving living in Chicago and how I really need to learn to take advantage of it. There is so many chances to go do things, to experience things and sometimes I get wrapped up in wanting nothing more than to sleep around when I get the chance - yes, sleep, I find myself sleeping more of the time than stepping out my door and into the city.

Then as the day was moving on, it started feeling damp in the air and smelling like wet grass, so it was obviously that it was going to rain. We walked back to our dorm, walking around and just talking, experiencing all of these shops that we've never noticed before and I have now made it my mission in the next two weeks that I am here, to look at most of them and to once more, spend time just laying around in the grass, doing nothing but enjoying being outside. When we got inside, we settled in for some more food and watched the storm take place outside, it was amazing! It was my first storm in Chicago, as somehow I always managed to go home for them but this time, I was here, finally!

The rain was almost crazy mad, slamming against the window and the lightening looked so pretty against the city skyline. 

I'll be making another Monday Video Blog, Song of the Week, and a little more about the Pixar vs. Dream Works debate! I'll slowly be getting more and more busy with school, moving out and trying to enjoy my last couple of weeks here before I am home for the summer, for three months! Oh, and I'll be painting my room orange and no, I am not reconsidering it. 

I'll be posting Monday! Enjoy the weekend.

- Cassie M