The Bahai House of Worship... of the North American Continent

I should start off by saying that I've had a serious case of Writer's Block for the past oh, four and a half months.  I've sat down many a time at the good ol' laptop to blog, but I just wasn't feeling inspired.

But tonight this post comes easily because I want to share a few beautiful photographs I took on my day off and a very overwhelming, yet special moment I experienced while I was there.  Many friends of ours have told us that a trip to the Bahai temple would be more than worthwhile.  With only seven in the entire world, it was mind-boggling to me that one would exist in our neck of the woods!

To start, it was a gorgeous day and quite perfect for a little sight-seeing.  The sky was a deep clear blue, the sun was shining, and the temperature was just right.  My plan was to take the L and a nice leisurely walk and see this wonder of Illinois.  And yes, it is actually one of the seven wonders of Illinois!

This is a view of the cute little street I walked down from the train station to the temple.  Wilmette is such a pretty town- notice the brick roads, nicely manicured lawns and beautiful homes.  Okay, I guess you can't see the homes, but I promise they were there!  Many of them reminded me of little cottages.

Had to cross a bridge with this view on either side.  It made me a little nervous when cars were zooming past me, but I had to stop and take a picture!

When I arrived there was a tour bus parked right out front.  It struck me as pretty cool that I only had to take a quick train ride!  The timing was perfect though because most of my pictures were tourist free, and I got to sit inside the temple in complete peace.

According to my pamphlet, "this unique structure stands for unity and invites prayer to God.  Each temple has its own distinctive design, and they all conform to a consistent theme: an area of gardens encircles a nine-sided structure covered by a single, majestic dome (symbolizing the unity of all people and religions under God)."

As I stared up at this amazing beautiful, intricate domed ceiling at my seat... I felt this sudden wave of emotions.  My eyes teared up a little, and all I can really say is in that moment, I felt incredibly moved.  Imagine the experience of sitting in this astounding sacred space, with nothing but natural light streaming down on you.   

Upon exiting the temple, I asked the lady at the door what the writing at the top of the dome meant, and she explained that it was a prayer that meant "O Glory of the All Glorious."  She was so nice and informative, and even told me I was welcome to take a few pictures inside as long as there were no services going on.

If anything, I would encourage anyone in the Chicagoland area to go see it.  The pictures just don't do it justice!

My First Visitor!!!!

I heart my friend Cathy.  She is one of my dearest friends- we were roomies for many years, starting all the way back in (gulp) 2000!  So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that she would be spending five whole days with me in Chicago.  She even came during the winter (seriously a trooper, especially since she was coming from some fab weather in Cali), but I have to say... the weather didn't stop us from enjoying all the city has to offer.

Lunch at the Signature Room (95th floor of the John Hancock Building)- the best view of the city AND an amazing, affordable meal.

And this dish gets an honorable mention. Wagyu pastrami sandwich with french fries. Just a little plate of heaven...

Inside the Art Institute of Chicago.  What an amazing museum-- probably one of the best I have ever been to in my life (it was incredible to see Sunday Afternoon and Nighthawk in person, which are two of my all-time favorite paintings).

                                             Humongous ball of mistletoe.

                       Pretty view of Pritzker Pavillion from inside the museum.

                                Snowy bean (Cloud Gate) in Millenium Park.

Cathy and I love pictures that showcase pretty rows of trees. 

THANK YOU CATHY FOR A FABULOUS FUN FILLED WEEK!!!! 

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Today while I was walking home from work, I couldn't help but think of how beautiful it is when it snows.  It really does make the winter so much more tolerable, and dare I say... enjoyable.  I really don't mind bundling up and walking when the snow is falling.  As much as I miss warm weather, Chicago is an amazing city to be in the winter.  When you learn to embrace the cold, it makes all the difference in the world. To have a White Christmas and Winter Wonderland for the holidays are things that I will take with me wherever I go.

Home is Wherever I'm With You

If you've been paying any attention to the news, there is a blizzard that has hit Chicago so hard that people are up to their ears in snow (literally).  Although a very small part of me feels a bit left out- insert fun pics of all my friends playing in mountains of fresh snow- I am grateful to have spent two extra days in beautiful, sunny, WARM, California. 

My flight back was smooth and easy, and I took in the cool comfortable breeze that welcomed me home.  By request, my dad picked me up in his brand new car with my favorite In N Out burger (animal style), fries, and vanilla shake.  Waiting for me at home was my mom, a half dozen Sprinkles cupcakes, and a fresh batch of caramel popcorn/chex mix.  It was my actual birthday that night, and the little girl in me who still loves to open presents was excited to unwrap my gift.

The rest of the week was spent catching up with friends, and of course it went by all too fast.  I also got in some shopping at South Coast Plaza (a girl can have serious withdrawals being away for too long), had a lot of good Japanese food, and most importantly quality time with my family. 

Sometimes it's really hard being so far away from home, but truly it makes you appreciate what you have so much more.   This vacation was just what I needed in so many ways.  I feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle February in The Windy City!  Special thanks to my brother, who funded my trip back home and even flew down from Nor Cal just to celebrate my birthday- you rock.

Live Your Best Life

Oprah says it best.

It sounds so simple, really.  Why is it then, that so many of us don't do it?  I suppose everyone has their own reasons- understandable and legit reasons- that continue to hold them back.  So maybe the real question at hand is what you are willing to do to change that?

Last night I was watching Revolutionary Road and was once again reminded of the four words that have become my motto for this new year (and hopefully the rest of my life).

Live your best life.

For me personally, living my best life in this current moment means taking advantage of living in an incredible city rich with history and culture.  After my two years pass in Chicago, who knows when the next time will be that I'll get to do something like this again.

During the past few months, I feel like I haven't been able to enjoy being in this city as much as I would have liked to.  I have become a working machine, only stopping to eat, sleep, and commute. And ohhhh, the commute.  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

In a recent conversation with my younger brother, he mentioned that there aren't many easy ways to cut out unhappiness or unwanted stress in your life... but as it turns out, cutting out a long commute could make all the difference.

He was right.  To make a long story short, I decided to take a new job ridiculously close to home (ladies and gentleman, it will take me all but two minutes to walk there).  It wasn't the easiest decision to make, especially because I really did enjoy working for my previous employer... but it had to be done.

Sometimes living your best life means taking big risks.  Sometimes there will be sacrifices made. There's definitely the chance things may not turn out the way you envisioned and hoped for, but how will you know if you never tried?

Empire State of Mind- Christmastime in NYC

Prior to last weekend, I have never been to New York during Christmastime. Though I have visited the city more times than I can keep track of, I have somehow managed to have other things to do that kept me away. It has long been on my "bucket list," and I'm so glad that I finally got the chance to go because it is truly magical during this time of year. Chicago does an incredible job spreading the holiday cheer, but there is nothing like walking down Fifth Avenue and checking out all the fabulous store fronts.

Though it was just a short weekend getaway, the mini vacay was exactly what I needed. Work has been insanely busy for the holidays, and the timing could not have been better. Plus, this was a special trip because I got to go with my good friend Jo. This was her first trip since going with her family years and years ago, so she was really excited to go as well.  Going on trips with your significant other or your family is always great, but the experience really changes when you go with a friend. In other words, we got to go shopping ALL DAY and do girly things that would bore our husbands to death!

So our trip began with a quick bite of pizza and a show. We chose Promises, Promises because we are both HUGE fans of Kristin Chenoweth. Our only complaint was that we didn't get to see Sean Hayes perform (he was sick), but the good news was that his understudy was awesome AND we got to see Molly Shannon play the part of the drunk lady.  It was a fun show and a great way to start off the weekend.

After the show, we walked around Times Square and then grabbed a late night snack at Carnegie Deli. Now having had both Carnegie and Katz's famous pastrami sandwiches, I must say that Carnegie does not hold a candle to Katz's. Don't get me wrong- it's still very good, but I was more interested in the matzo ball soup and latkes that the couple eating next to us were having! Plus, the prices are ridiculously ridiculous. I guess that's a given seeing that it's in a touristy area, but seriously? $15 for one sandwich + another $3 to split it? And no free re-fills on $3 Cokes?  It's highway robbery if you ask me!

Anyway. Onto the next day...

We slept in and made our way to Bergdorf Goodman for a very belated birthday lunch for Jo. I had requested a special table by the window overlooking Central Park for the occasion, and let me tell you, BG does NOT disappoint. Lunch there is probably one of my favorite NYC experiences, and I know that I will be back again because it was that amazing. The food was incredible and the service exceeded my already high expectations.

If there is a place I love more the Bloomingdale's, it is Bergdorf Goodman. Thank goodness it is so far away because I would be bankrupt if I lived nearby. Shopping is divine, especially when you hit their amazing designer shoe sales.

After BG, we checked out The Plaza hotel, walked around the park, and hit up all our favorite stores down Fifth Avenue. Here are a few of my favorite decorated store fronts! Fendi was my favorite (sorry Tiffany, you were a close second!), and then Cartier was third.

Inside the Happiest Place on Earth. Yes, that is Tiffany and Co. for those of you who are not in the know.

Presents from Heaven (Santa).

Having some fun at the NBA store.

Of course, we worked up an appetite shopping so we had to have a hot dog. It totally hit the spot, and I'm happy to report that Jo enjoyed it!  Then it was off to see the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. OMG was it a ZOO there- people pushing and shoving everywhere... not fun. But boy, was it a sight to see.

We had a few hours until our dinner, so we decided to get another snack (Junior's Cheesecake!) at Grand Central Station. I just love walking into the main concourse- it's so majestic, strikingly beautiful and breath-taking.

Macy's.

Dinner was at Boqueria, one of my favorite places to eat for Spanish tapas. I often crave their Seafood Paella because it is soooo delicious.  I remembered having this amazing strawberry sangria in the summer, but it was replaced with another seasonal drink. It sounded pretty good (cranberries drenched in rum), but that was mistake because it was WAY TOO STRONG, and I was definitely buzzing after a few sips! We were pretty stuffed after all the good eats, but powered through another round of drinks and dessert at a diner with Jo's family.

Sunday came too fast, but we got to have a nice brunch with my friend Kim who I met on KWEST Japan. It was really great to see her, and we mostly ended up chattering away about her wedding plans for next year. Her fiancee is classmates with Scott, but she still lives in NYC, so I am crossing my fingers that she'll move so we can hang out more!

NY, I'll be back soon. After all, it's such a quick and easy flight to and from Chicago. :)

Until next time...

40 Degree Weather? Yes, Please!

Every week, the temperature drops by a few degrees. I would say it's because of this fact that I am getting more and more used to the cold.

I no longer feel sorry for people who complain that it's cold back home. The wind chill here is serious! It makes the weather feel so much colder than it really is. For example, 35 degrees here feels quite different than 35 degrees there. I have now become one of those people who think 40 degrees is a FANTASTIC day for weather. I might even say that 50 degrees is... hot.

Next week we'll be in single digits, and at some point next year we'll probably go below zero. I can't even imagine what that's going to feel like!

So what do I have to look forward to these days? Snow. I LOVE walking in fresh snow and seeing the streets covered in soft white powder. The days that it snows are actually warmer than days that don't- it's so strange psychologically because the most beautiful, crystal clear days when the sun in sparkling and the skies are bright blue are the most bitter cold.

The thing I've really come to hate weather-wise is the rain. Man, rain sucks in Chicago!!! Mostly it's because of the wind- and to be honest, I think that rain is worse than snow here. It is a total pain in the ass to walk in, and you need an umbrella made of steel to weather the storms.

Despite the extreme cold and harsh weather conditions, I am (for the most part!) enjoying the winter season. Everything is decked out for Christmas, and the holiday spirit is all around us. I'm just hoping that this newfound excitement will carry me through my first winter here in Chicago.

Let's just pray that I don't slip on the ice and fall on my ass.

Happy Holidays!