I'm going to miss these moments...

I can't believe that when someone asks me how much time I have before I leave, I answer with, "A week and a half." The whole moving to Kuwait for a year has been more of a dream than a reality up until about a week ago when my travel agent asked me what I would like for dinner on the plane. Just this week I have really started getting serious about packing and getting rid of things. Everything's on craigslist, my parents are the new owners of my tv and my dog, goodwill got a ton of clothes, and my visa is on its way back from the embassy. It should be in my hands tomorrow morning!

I don't think I've appreciated quality time enough in the past. These past few weeks I've really started doing just that. I've always taken for granted that I can call my friends up and in 15 minutes we're sitting at the dinner table together talking about random moments of our day. I know that I'll meet new friends when I move there, but they can't replace the ones I have here. Each one of them is unique and all together they make the best group of friends anyone can ask for! I'll definitely be keeping in touch with them, but its the tangible time that can't be replaced.

A few weeks ago I made one last trip to Chicago (excluding my 4 hour layover I have there next Sunday). My friends had two gigs in one night and it was insane! Mike picked me up at the airport around 5:30 and we got to the venue when the band before them was singing their final song. Talk about cutting it close! Then after that, we had to rush home, get their gear for a full set, since the first one was only acoustic (amazing), and we headed off to the next place with just enough time for them to come up with a set list. Here are a few pictures I took of them:

This is Ballroom Boxer, and they're awesome! If you're ever in Chicago, let me know and I'll tell you where you can find them. :)

Dave and I fight like brother and sister...and he hates my guacamole.

Mike's legit...and crazy, but I still like him! Him and Dave are brothers, and if I'm ever telling you stories of my Chicago adventures, chances are Mike was right beside me.

I've been to Chicago several times, but the one thing I did this time that I haven't done before is go to the beach. It was so awesome! It's not like it is here. We don't have a lake that freezes in the winter, so halfway through the summer, our lakes are practically bathwater. Lake Michigan was FREEZING!! It was refreshing! It's also nice to lay out with a cool breeze instead of it feeling like a sauna like it is in Dallas. I definitely fell asleep on the sand.

This is a picture of part of downtown as we crossed over the highway on the bridge going from Lincoln Park to North Ave Beach.

I was surprised at the amount of people out on the beach on a Monday afternoon! I think the majority of them were high school kids on summer vacation. :)

It's crazy that this awesome beach is right in the city. I'm telling you, Chicago is an all-in-one city. Love it.



The last night I was there, I cooked for Mike and Dave. They always let me crash at their place when I am in town, so I decided to appreciate them a little bit with some fajitas! After dinner, Mike and I spontaneously decided to go watch the fireworks that they do on the  Navy Pier every Wednesday and Saturday. There was no way we were making it to the pier in 15 minutes so we watched them from the beach instead. We ran through the park, over the bridge and down the beach and got there just in time! It was awesome! Then we walked back along the beach. It was peaceful.

Fajitas! I had to bring some good tex-mex to Chicago.

I can't believe they do this twice a week! It wasn't a lame show either.

Love this skyline.

It was so peaceful standing out on the pier looking at the city.

Seriously the best city ever!

Chicago will always be a city I'll visit every summer. I still would love to live there one day!

Last weekend we had a going away extravaganza! Fifteen of my closest friends all went to Hibashi for amazing food! It was good to see everyone. After that, more people met us out for arcade games and lifesize Jenga and Connect Four. It was a blast! Sunday, more people came out to my favorite pool in Dallas and we ended it with amazing pizza and shuffle board at Bryan Street Tavern. I'm seriously going to miss my friends.

The chef tossed some rice in Alex's pocket, so he had to get it out.

He was a great chef!

Christi!

I had to catch up with my Tom Bean crowd!

Alex was awesome and made the reservations for me. I'm going to miss this guy.

Molli and I had the same major in college and lived in the same complex. We never see each other anymore so I was glad her and Drew were able to come out!

Shawn tried to toss the egg. The first time was a bust, but he caught on very quickly!

They have awesome sushi! We didnt want to fill up on a ton of rice and sushi before our main course, so we got the cucumber wrap and it was tasty!

Such a great group of friends!

I love that they have these signs. It really can be dangerous when they all fall down.

I worked with Brian for 3 years. We started teaching at the same time and we went to a teacher retreat together. He bought me some Airborne for the flight. Thanks to him I'll be nice and healthy when I arrive in Kuwait!

 I was more about the Jenga, but they loved the Connect Four!



I really am excited about this new adventure, but like I said before, these guys are irreplaceable. I'm going to miss them so much! I'll come see you next summer, so get ready! Now its time to get busy packing and selling my furniture!