I’ve been to my fair share of new cities, and the first place I seek out is the local library (or, God forbid, if there isn’t one close enough, the closest bookstore). I’ve carried a library card far more often than I have an ID card!

1. It’s FREE – You join for free and you get to take books out for free! You pay nothing – well, perhaps you do, by way of tax, but that’s different. You have access to a multitude of books and they exist solely for your pleasure! They are just sitting on shelves, waiting to be picked up!! All they want is some indulgence from you, and your time to enjoy what they have to offer
2. The collection – Where else would you find a physical collection of the written or spoken word? Yes, of course the internet, but that’s not physical. I mean a collection of books, magazines, music and movies that you can actually touch and feel. You have literature, anthologies, biographies, newspapers, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, from all walks of life in a variety of languages, in different colors, shapes and sizes. It’s heaven. The knowledge that awaits you is incredible and it never ceases to amaze me that all of it is so readily available for the taking. I have Milton, Chaucer, Dostoevsky at arm’s length, I may study evolution with Darwin, look into the vast unknown of space through Galileo’s eyes, indulge in 19th century feminism, read of the politics of the Romans, take over countries and establish empires, find my roots, learn history… yes, and get carried away
3. Architecture – If you’ve noticed, most of the largest libraries are housed in grand buildings that provide an architectural landmark to the place they are situated in. Modern libraries and those that have survived time, all are proof of this notion. I have not been to many ‘modern’ libraries, I shall admit, but am convinced that they are fantastic, just because they are libraries. But the older ones, the large stone structures with the gargoyles and marble staircases, immediately put me at ease. I could just stare at the facade of a library and be content, knowing that when they were constructed it was done with religious precision. The sole purpose of having these buildings, apart from temples, was serve as a depository of knowledge that could be accessed by those who seek it. If you look closely enough, these buildings speak of that commitment.
4. Information – I’ll admit it isn’t as easy as clicking on a link online, but it’s all there. You’ll almost never arrive at a ‘red link’ that gives you an HTTP 404 error If you don’t find it, it means you didn’t look enough. There is something quite satiating in knowing that you did all of the researching work, instead of having Google tell you which page you need to go look at first! Besides, if there’s something you can’t find, you can actually interact with librarians, who are experts at finding things. They’ll lead you in the right direction. There’s human interaction! Besides, if you think you’d rather trust a computer and or or the internet, that’s available too!
5. It’s Quiet – When I want my peace of mind, I read. Or I walk by, or just stare at, the lake. While I prefer the comfort of my most comfy chair, I wouldn’t really mind sitting at a library surrounded by books. People respect silence here. You’d here the odd scrape of a chair or the copying machine or the scanner, muffled footsteps, some tapping of the keyboard, a soft giggle, that swish of a crispy sound when books slide against each other when being put back onto or being pulled from a shelf. You may relax. (This may not work for me because I’m fidgety and wouldn’t be able to hold my concentration that long, but a lot of people have told me it works).
6. Social – You meet people. Most people that go to a library are readers. They appreciate stories and writing, that’s why they’re there. No book is uninteresting, except maybe the 150-page romance novels, which, in their defense, provide someone an excuse for reading, even if it does not contribute to the mind’s natural thirst for knowledge. I’d wager that at some point, each person that has been in a library, has had a conversation about books with a stranger they just met. Be it a book he’s holding that you’ve read, or vice-versa, or a book you both are reaching for. You’re socializing. It may be a moment of interaction, but it serves for conversation and provides food for thought. You make and receive recommendations. You may or may not take it seriously, but you do consider it. That’s social interaction for you, in a library. (I once had a very entertaining conversation about gardening with a lady, who had an acre large garden, while waiting in the check-out line at the library.) There are also book clubs that you can sign up for at your library!
7. Literary events – Remember going to reading sessions and story-time at a book store when you were a kid? That’s an event. An author stopping by to talk about his or her work, literary and cultural events… libraries. I’ve met 3 authors at library events. I found out about one of these events on an elevator ride down four floors, from fiction to check-out. I’ve been to book signing events at libraries. I’ve spoken with fellows readers, and been connected to others. Then there are the several writing contests that are hosted. According to season, or some special event. I submitted a bunch as a kid, and few as an adult. Who knows, you may meet your favorite author there, or you might end up becoming one!
8. Book sales – I love old books. They have this wonderful musty, “I’ve been read and I’m old” smell. I like new books too, the fresh crisp pages waiting to be turned. And so I love book sales! They’re definitely used books so don’t necessarily fit into my vision of filling my library with leather bound copies of my favorite writing, but they add to my collection. You’ll find games (a friend bought “It Was a Dark & Stormy Night” at one such sale at a library), magazines, books, CDs and DVDs. If you’re lucky, you’ll find that one book of a certain edition that you always wanted!
9. e-Libraries – I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to books in that I’d rather hold a book in my hand than read it from a device. BUT that does not keep me from purchasing or downloading eBooks, or borrowing books from the library through an app (read Kindle App). I don’t really feel as much of a connection to the story if I read from a screen instead of paper, but that’s just me. I’m tech savvy, but I’ll stick with books. For those of you that would prefer an eReader, then libraries still cater to your reading needs.
10. Free Wifi – When coffee shops and grocery stores offer customers free wi-fi, why shouldn’t a library?! Step in and you’re connected. Use it for whatever you will whenever you want.

So there you are. 10 of my reasons why libraries are some of the coolest places on Earth. I’m sure there are many others, but I love words (and consequently books) and I shall advocate libraries.

If it so interests you, check out this post of the 20 of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries. Below is the library I frequent – complete with the gargoyles, dusty shelves and the wondrous smell of books waiting to be read.

Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago, IL

I do imagine, however, that if I begin early enough for 2012, I will be able to hit a 100 (or more!!). Hence, the challenge again!!

I aim at 50 classics, ones that I’ve read before and newer ones that have been on my ‘to-read’ list for a long time; and 50 other books. I’m going to be keeping track of the books on my page ‘2012 Reading Challenge‘ and on Goodreads.

Here’s looking forward to a fruitful New Year!!

Now, it begins to race.

I feel the blood pump through my veins,

My breath quickens, my resolve weakens.

I hear tales,

Fantastically woven ones,

I wonder which ones are true,

Willing myself to believe only what you mean to me.

I clear my head of colliding thoughts,

Vowing to remain detached, emotionally, for now.

We all have secrets, we all face darkness,

But why can you not speak with me?

I’ve known you all my life,

How can you not see

That you are the world and more to me.

I am everything you’ve taught me to be,

I’ve learned from you the good ways and the bad.

Retracing my steps where you went wrong.

I pray for you, for your heart and soul,

Knowing, somewhere within, that you are still you.

The one I know has principles,

The one I respect has fears and doubts;

But it is nothing you can’t handle,

And so I continue to believe.

I fear disappointment, but stay strong,

I recoil from the rage.

In my eyes you are still perfect,

But the picture is marred.

It hurts that you don’t try,

To rectify the errors of your ways,

But to you I say, “I love you”

And forever more yours, I remain.

Anyway, a few days back, I said the words, “reviewing the situation” to someone and it set into motion this particular series of memories and I, being one of those that loves almost anything to do with books, went on a musical spree. Here are some of my favorites.

Reviewing the Situation – Oliver Twist

Ron Moody, who played Fagin in the 1968 movie, made me love Oliver Twist – which isn’t, if you come to think of it, a very endearing read for an eight year old!

Be Prepared – The Lion King

Jeremy Irons’ voice send shivers down my spine whether he’s talking or singing, and he deserves due recognition for being the perfect Scar. The Broadway version is spectacular, but here’s the song from the movie, because nothing can beat Mr. Irons’ voice.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Mary Poppins

I didn’t like the movie, loved the play and this song. Why? Because it was a big word and for the longest time I was the only one in my class who could say AND spell it (I could also say it backwards)

The Phantom of the Opera – The Phantom of the Opera

While I Tarja Turunen’s gothic take on this very gothic play, the original song is creepy on its own terms!

Macavity: The Mystery Cat – Cats

T. S. Eliot’s poem was my favorite in middle school, and when I found out that it was also a song in Cats, well… I loved it even more

There are songs from The Fantastiks and Beauty and the Beast, and several other musicals that I know songs from, that should be on this post, but for the sake of simplicity and keeping it short I will stop with my top five.

I don’t necessarily do all of the traditional Halloween stuff mainly because I can’t stand horror movies – talking about horror stories is fine by me. Tell me or make me the story of an axe murderer or a headless horseman, I’m fine with it. Make me watch the movie, I’ll scream in terror and jump out the window. I just make do with creepy books – the classic creepy books I mean – and creepy music, neither of which fail to send shivers down my spine.

Keeping with the spirit of the season, here’s one of my scribbles done on a yellow Post-it. Random, as always, but with something meaningful in it. To me, each of the faces represents something or someone I can’t recall what or who, but I know there was something to it.

Fall (autumn, till I came to the US), spring and winter are my favorite seasons. Because everything changes! Summer is fun – but I’m not a beach person. I’d rather sit indoors than out in the sweltering heat. Fall and spring are my ‘go outside and enjoy’ seasons. Winter is my ‘appreciate the warmth but admire the beauty of the cold’, and there is beauty to beheld in winter! But I’ll wait to go on about that when it actually does arrive. For now I’ll stick with the marvelousness of Fall.

When I went back home for a weekend two weeks ago, everything was still green. I returned, two days later, and everything was changing. Light greens, bright oranges, mellow yellows, rich maroons, brittle browns… I saw these and much more on the train ride from the airport to the Loop. I was fascinated! True, the weather was darkish and dreary, cold and windy with the pelting rain, the lake, turning a muddy brown as the winds whipped up the waves. But there was that strength to it, a force that man can’t reckon with at play. I loved it! It gets rather deceptive too, giving the appearance of a bright and calm day, until the moment you step outside to the whistling wind, blowing in from the lake, sweeping this way and that!
Then a glimpse of a ‘warmer’ day before plunging down the scale into the cold foreboding realms over the bridge of fall and winter. That’s how we welcomed fall this year in the city. As depressing as it sounds, I still managed to have fun! With the cold and the rain and the wind and the anticipation of a dreadful winter!

I didn’t do the ‘fall colors’ drive this year, but we managed to make it out to Richardson Farm, where a 33 acre corn field had been cut out to make a maze! They have a different maze every year, and this time it was a ‘salute to the troops’. 4 mazes, we skipped the ‘quiz maze’, each of us navigating through the maze of our choice, 6 check points in each maze, tall crops of corn, talking, joking… We kept to true the instruction at the entrance of the maze – Get Lost Here! We walked around for over 2 hours, so I’m guessing about 6 or 7 miles, on farmland. The sky was blue and the country side smelled crisp. Literally. The air was so soothing and clean, I felt my lungs sigh with uncontrolled pleasure!

We received, at the end of our walk, a certificate that gave us the credentials of having walked through the world’d largest corn maze.

Instead of sinking in and having corn bread and funnel cake for lunch, we drove to a Burger King close by, devoured burgers, walked down to the Dairy Queen across the street and indulged in heavenly chocolate variant blizzards. The delight of knowing your stomach is satisfied is the sign to take a nap. Which we didn’t do. Instead, we talked, comfortable in our camaraderie, relieving our minds and weighing our emotions. It was delightful! Because we did have an ‘a-maze-ing’ time!!

Filed under: Espresso - Black Cream and Sugar Tagged: corn maze, fall, richardson farm ]]> https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/maize-maze-or-a-corn-maze/feed/ 0 sruts IMG_0660 IMG_0659 https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/my-summer-diary/ https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/my-summer-diary/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:46:15 +0000 Sruts http://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/?p=1143 ]]> [This post has been in the making for over 2 months so I'm certain to have missed things, but this is as close as to complete it will ever get, so I'm going to make do ]

This is the life. Perfect for someone who has just graduated, has a well paid job that allows you to indulge, and lives in a spectacular city.

My beautiful city on a lovely summer evening as seen from Navy Pier

Last summer though I had summer classes I lived in the suburbs and commuted to the city every day, for school and work. It didn’t give me much time to explore and enjoy myself. The break that I took was fantastic – we did our West Coast history trip then – but I missed the best of Chicago due to my not living downtown. This year, I resolved not to. I knew I’d be in the city, so I made plans, scouring every newspaper and website that gave me good information about the happenings in this city that I have grown to love.

The Taste of Chicago was one of the first things I went to. I went back twice in the week with different groups of friends. Once to watch a ‘Broadway in Chicago’ concert, and the other just to engorge on the food. Chicago style, of course. Actually, I think I went to Taste of Randolph first…. yes, yes I did. ToR did happen first.

That out of the way, I began attending select concerts at Millennium Park and Grant Park, all part of their free summer concert series. I watched Jazz Gospel performance, the Chicago Youth Symphony

Music in the Park - Millenium Park

Orchestra, Rasputina with great enthusiasm, and made sure I went to most of the other classical performances as well. Fun times, because the Great Lawn would be open, and we’d have our own little picnic there. Didn’t go to the Lollapalooza, because I wasn’t very fond of the lineup, but I did watch them (recorded) later. I know it doesn’t count, but honestly, that’s not my music scene. I must mention the  Soul Train 40th Anniversary concert, a marvelous gathering of people of all ages, dancing and relishing the simple and powerful music. My friend and I left early, due to the abumndance of smoke issued by people smoking cigars, cigarettes, and weed (yes, weed… in public. Stupidity!), but it was one of those things that happened in the city that I was there for!

I spent a good deal of time exploring the eating scene in the city. A new restaurant every week. Either lunch or dinner. Sushi on Fridays became a routine for a month, when we decided we needed to exercise control.

The Chicago Air and Water Show was the next thing on my list. However, I did not expect to be able to watch it from the comfort of my bed!! I awoke on the first day to the sounds of, what I assumed to be in my groggy sleep-ridden state, supersonic jets attacking the city. The sky was clear, some dark-ish clouds hung in the far east-end threateningly, and the lake was a beautiful blue, and there, right in front of me were the US Air Force Thunderbird jets whizzing around, forming intricate designs in the air at breathless speeds! It was spectacular!!

The Ravinia Music Festival

And then, the one thing I had been looking forward to the whole of the summer – the Ravinia Music Festival! Why was I so excited? The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was going to play the score of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at Ravinia Park. This would make complete sense to someone who loves LOTR and music – and Peter Jackson’s take on LOTR, actually. With me? I was determined to be in the front row – or close to at least – and was totally up for paying for the reserved seating. I would not have settled for anything less. I coerced a friend into accompanying me so I wouldn’t have to travel alone, and thankfully he is as much a music lover (probably more) as I and enjoyed it thoroughly. I was in awe of the performance, complete with a brilliant choir and sopranos/lead singers. It was one heck of a journey; the movie was shown on a tall

The Lord of the Rings at Ravinia

screen above the orchestra and choir, and for three hours they enthralled us. People were clapping, and cheering, and giving the performance due respect at the perfect times. There were cheers when the Fellowship formed, and when Gandalf escaped, and pin drop silence when the Balrog took Gandalf into the depths of Moria with it, and Boromir breathed his last. It was absolutely heart warming and wrenching (in their turns). The performance ended at midnight, and though I got home well after 1am, I wasn’t tired, I was just overwhelmed.

Chicago White Sox vs Detroit Tigers - social event from work

And then there was the White Sox game that I went to from work! It was supposed to be a manager-new employee thing, and I was delighted to be back in the South Side for it. The White Sox were playing the Tigers. We got to watch it from the comfort of a private suite, with a classy tailgating type lunch and drinks. Half a day off work, bonding with other new hires and interns, and our managers. It was my first baseball game and I was glad they won, even if by a small margin! Now all that remains for me is to go watch the Bears and the Cubs. Oh, and Chicago Fire, although I’m not sure I want to do that.

Summer was still bright and running in August. Taste of Greece was next on the list. A quaint gathering of restaurants, with piles of delicious looking Greek salads, gyros and sweets. My friend, who is a proud Turk, walked us through the dishes, exclaiming at most times – “That’s not Greek, it’s Turkish!” much to our amusement

Labor Day weekend was upon us too soon, and a visit to Starved Rock State Park on a beautiful Sunday, when the breeze was calm and cool, the skies clear, and the trees greener than ever, signalled another bonding session between my truly international gang of friends. 6 of us, 5 nationalities, on a 6+ mile hike, bickering and talking all the way, relishing nature and company… I slept for more than 12 hours the next day, but who cared!

I must mention here that I got involved in two book clubs over the summer as well. One, the Chicago Book Club, a large one with a good selection of contemporary novels, and the other, a more private gathering of 4 English classics obsessed girls. Yes, we drool over all the Mr. Darcys, Mr. Thorntons, Mr. Rochesters, Lord Wimseys… it’s fun Keeping with my Jane Austen obsession, I jumped at the chance to watch Persuasion – a musical!! Imagine that! Someone who loves Miss Austen’s books as much as I do will understand the skepticism with which I went to the theater, but I was impressed by the adaptation. Didn’t like the lady who played Anne Elliot so much – mainly because her singing voice wasn’t so very nice, and her accent was terribly distorted, it was near impossible to understand her!

I think I’ve grown to love the city more this summer. It was absolutely delightful! I managed to go to the beach once, in all this time – did go out for the 4th fireworks at Navy Pier, and managed to watch some of the summer fireworks from my 60th floor sun-deck \m/ – but that was all my contact with water was. For someone who loves swimming, it’s depressing.

I’ve been cooking a lot too. Summer does that to you, I think. I’ve also been trying out different restaurants and cuisines. I live in a place that commands the presence of absolutely everything! It’s fantastic! I guess it helps that I’m also earning a decent salary, and so I can be as independent as possible and enjoy it to my fullest extent! Fun!

As fall descends upon us now, with the sudden drop in temperature (almost 20 degrees overnight – belive it), I feel myself withdrawing into the safe, warm cocoon of my well established apartment. There’s so much more to come, and I’m just falling more and more in love with this city

Filed under: Espresso - Black Cream and Sugar Tagged: baseball, chicago, Chicago summer, millenium park, music festival, Ravinia, sox vs tigers, starved rock state park, summer 2011 ]]> https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/my-summer-diary/feed/ 2 sruts Chicago :) Music Festivals Ravinia Park LOTR Sox vs Tigers https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/austen-musical/ https://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/austen-musical/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:48:28 +0000 Sruts http://srutsaragorn.wordpress.com/?p=1157 ]]> Can you imagine a Jane Austen musical? I mean, a real Jane Austen drama as a musical? Lady Catherine singing about her pride, Darcy of his love, Marianne of her heartache, Colonel Brandon of his battles, Edmund Bertram of his family and Miss Crawford of hers, and Emma of her matchmaking, perhaps? Does it make some sense? Maybe not. But if you think about it, it’s very possible, because I just returned from a rather nice musical adaptation of my second most favorite Jane Austen novel, Persuasion. Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot, and every other character, relating the story to you in song.

I saw it only because I’m subscribed to the Chicago Tribune – yes, I still have my newspaper delivered to me. I rushed to the Athenaeum Theater to buy the tickets the very next day. I was spiffed about it! I didn’t care if I had company or not, I was going to watch it. And I did. Just a few hours back. I must admit, I was very apprehensive about the whole event. I gave it a lot of thought and honestly, I was duly impressed.

It began with a half hour presentation that provided a background of the Royal Navy at the time the novel is set and then to the theater we went. The show was fun and well thought out. It seemed to mix the elements of the movie versions and the actual book quite well. It was divided into two acts, split at the point when Louisa Musgrove hurts herself at Lyme, which I thought was an interesting point to stop the first act, but was a good choice. The music was spectacular from start to finish, I appreciated the intensity and playfulness of the score from the very first note. The songs were good and came in at the right moments. The lyrics were simple, obviously, with the perfect amount of humor in them, that everyone almost joined in with some songs – like the sailor song, to which three boys even tap danced! The script was worthy of an Austen novel, though there were slight deviations in the actual words said – like the one part when Captain Wentworth almost confesses his love for Anne much earlier than Miss Austen had him do – but it settled fine with the script, so no complaints there. My only issue, I think, would have to be the acting and the accent.

Now, I realize that it is an American stage production, so naturally the actors would be American, with American accents. Perfectly fine. As actors, stage actors especially, they would naturally attempt to be as original as possible. Which almost all of them managed. All except the female lead. Anne Elliot. She just threw me off from her very first line. The actress that played Anne Elliot was the one who did the adaptation, so I guess I expected her to be perfect. Or at least near it. Her acting was good, her singing very good, but just the accent… ah… She was either trying too hard – which I think is true because ‘roar’ sounded like ‘wroawr’, and parents sounded like ‘payents’ – or I’ve been watching too much British television. Either way, that was the only disappointing aspect of the whole musical. I didn’t expect an Amanda Root or Sally Hawkins presentation, but one would expect Anne Elliot, being the protagonist, to be the one who is best fitted in the role. Captain Wentworth did a good job, he didn’t get to sing as much, but he played the part quite well. Other mentionable performances would have to be the Miss Musgroves, both of whom sang brilliantly, Sir Walter Elliot, who added a good deal of comedy into the character, Captains Harville and Benwick, Admiral Croft – the deep baritone voice was perfect – and Lady Russell. William Elliot, the scheming cousin, was good in his role, though I think the 2007 film version had the best actor for this part, but this isn’t film, and I did like his singing. The supporting cast, all the sailors and general townspeople had amazing voices too! I loved the choruses they sang together! The set design was lovely. I didn’t expect to see so much on the stage, and I think they managed it quite well.

Overall, I honestly think it was a good experience. One every Austen fan must be subjected to just to appreciate Miss Austen even more. This adaptation is told through the eyes of Jane Austen – she relates the story to her niece and nephew. I loved the fact that the essence in her characters and books gave life to a musical, something Jane Austen would’ve NOT imagined her work being made into. I might have enjoyed the acting a little bit more had I not gone in with the expectation of a Ciarán Hinds like Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones did a fantastic job with it too, and I think I like him more for obvious reasons ). There was just too much visual content already in my head where the acting was concerned, but, I still managed to enjoy myself on a Sunday evening. Loved it. Might not go again only because of the accent of the lead, but would recommend that others go watch it while diligently ignoring it.

This picture sort of inspired the poem, except the water was blue when I started to write it and then it became this disturbing shade of brown…

Blue waters, of different shades
As distance grows.
Puffs of white, lining the horizon
Calm and smooth.
I watch. I wait. I wonder.
I listen. I shut my eyes.
I breathe. Slowly.
The gentle waves, crash a little louder
Rising with the tide
Fury. I can feel the anger.
I hear the howling wind.
I open my eyes in terror.
Blue waters, darkened now against a black sky.
It roars, building to a crescendo.
Deafening clash against land.
I fear the wrath of the growing storm,
Approaching me with open arms.
The wind in my hair, pushing me towards it.
I fight. Half-heartedly.
Misty spray of the ocean in my face, I feel.
I breathe. Slowly.
I open my eyes in wonder,
Marveling at the power,
The sheer strength of the moment takes me in.
I step into the foam, I am lost.

Turned 25 this weekend, I did! Phew! A quarter of a century and my silver birthday! Feels like a lifetime!! LOL! With all of the things going on, especially in the past few months, I was really excited about this particular ‘milestone’. One, I am done with school (again, but just for now); two, I’m working in an industry I had not previously considered and completely enjoying the whole experience of learning and working;  three, I now have my own apartment and am relishing the independence and freedom that education and employment bestows upon you; four, I truly feel that now I have an extended family that I can trust, read my closest friends.

I wanted to go home for the weekend and celebrate my birthday as I always have, family style with the cake and the siblings, and the gifts But with ticket prices almost thrice of what I normally pay, that was ruled out. And so I made my plans for a weekend of fun with my friends. It began mid-week, really. Shopping. Summer-ish clothes, because I don’t have a ‘dress-code’ to follow at work. The Maginificent Mile became and even better friend of mine as I acquainted my newly acquired credit card with it. Quite happily I bounced about from Wednesday to Friday.

Saturday night came along on wings of doves, smooth and calm. An all-you-can-eat sushi binge with one group of friends at Hiro’s Cafe, a quaint sushi bar tucked between a Subway and an art gallery in the northern ‘college-kid’ area of the city. Gulping sushi till we were more than full, sipping lemonade, talking, laughing, making jokes, socializing, lots of picture taking, then walking to the Bobtail’s Ice-Cream shop around the corner and indulging in delicious vanilla scoops, before making our way back home close to mid-night. I stayed up, knowing I would receive some important phone calls. And I did At 000 hrs on the dot. I slept feeling blissful. Sunday brought with it the promise of some quality time with some of my closest friends in the form of my birthday brunch at Grand Lux Cafe. Very nice place, very good food, and very good company. I put on my new dress, feeling glamorous as I walked the streets of Chicago in the light drizzle. Another quick phone call from one my European peeps had us planning a birthday dinner! And impromptu, almost, I was headed to Rainforest Cafe that evening!

I was delighted. It was my first birthday by myself, i.e. without family and without cake – yeah, can’t really get over that, and I, determined not to get nostalgic, or miss what could have been, threw myself into the celebrations and came out feeling like I had the best time of my life!

I’m older now. Twenty five years on this planet makes you think of what you’ve accomplished. I think I’ve done quite alright for myself. Twenty-three years of school, and still being educated, still learning… but all the time achieving something. Big or small. Taking into stride all that has come my way. Looking back on the years gone by with a certain fondness, no regret in any of my decisions, some life altering, I know I’ve turned out okay. I promised myself that I would’ve done certain things by the time I was 18, and then 21, and then 25. I’ve done them all. I set my goals, unconsciously and unbeknownst to me I worked towards it and nailed it.

But I think what hit me harder was that I’m a woman now. I’d like to think I’m dealing with that alright, but I suppose since I’ve never really thought of myself as a ‘woman’ I don’t know. In my head, I’m just a girl living her life – no age attached to the ‘girl’. I’m me. That’s it. That’s my silver lining. Being me.