Printer's Row

Worcester can't make up its mind on its mood today, so we are having a huge range of weather.  It's the afternoon, and so far we've experienced an incredibly blustery morning, a bit of rain, a period of calm, then literally a blizzard that lasted probably less than 10 minutes, and now it's sunny with some wind.  Good grief.  I watched it all through the window while writing letters, filling out job applications, and looking through some more pictures from Chicago.  These brightly colored books, cards, and stationary are from a bookstore in Printer's Row, the neighborhood I stayed in during my visit.  It was a super cute place; thanks to it and a recommendation from a friend, I'm in the middle of a really good book called Cloud Atlas.

Grey Day

All around grey and rainy day in Worcester - needed some red and yellow to cheer things up around the apartment :)

Spring

....is around the corner??  Spotted these crocuses peeking up while on a walk the other day. 

Hooray! 

The Temporary Vegans

Today marks the start of Lent, and our household is saying goodbye to meat and dairy for 40 days!  We're actually not big meat eaters at all, but eggs, yogurt, and cheese are a huge part of our daily pleasures; giving them up will eliminate a lot of the foods we automatically turn to at meals.  It should be a cool experiment and encourage us to try recipes we might otherwise brush aside, and I will post about our exploration into the world of vegan eating throughout the process!  Day 1 is nothing too out of our usual habits - peanut butter toast and coffee at breakfast, roasted green beans and potatoes with a lemon and balsamic vinaigrette at lunch, and sweet potato and black bean tacos at dinner.  Yum.

Right Beneath your Feet

Sometimes that's where you find the most interesting part of your surroundings!  I walked over this beautiful wood floor in a local shop and the brick plaza of the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.

One year ago...

I had just moved to Israel, and started four months of awesome exploring, eating, making friends, and great cello lessons.  Looking forward to my next visit!  and the one after that, and the one after that... :)

The Perfect Saturday

Ahhh.

City of the Future

Chicago buildings!  Here's something sweet - this city has some of the most innovative architecture in the world.  (These pictures are just from a very small section of the downtown area where I was walking; there is so much more.)  I like how beautiful and clean the skyline looks.  On top of this there is a huge cultural scene, lots of parks and green space, the beautiful lake shore, great public transportation, and tons of good food.  (Check out this article.)  That's why it's such a nice place to visit; there's a huge variety of things to do and see, great and affordable food to eat, and it's easy to get around.  

Lake Michigan

Well readers (however few of you there may be), I've been jumping around constantly this past month or so taking auditions at different schools to try and find the right place to continue my education.  The whole process has been very tiring, but definitely a learning experience.  I've gone back and forth a little bit the whole year about whether or not I even really want to go back to school because I have so enjoyed my time out of it, but after catching glimpses of students roaming campus, I feel that I could successfully make my way back to the work, stress, and rewards the system offers.  Anyway, I was so distracted by the whole process that I ignored my camera for the entire period and didn't have much to post.  But, I stayed in Chicago for awhile during visits to various schools in the midwest, and snapped a few shots near the end of the trip, so I will share them with some stories.  

I love Chicago more with every visit, and on this trip I spent a lot of time wandering around just to admire the city by the lake.  I've said it before and I still believe it's true - Lake Michigan is the best lake!  Vast, clean, beautiful color, perfect for swimming and sailing.  I keep telling myself that I will go camping on one of its many sites sometime; maybe this summer will be it... :)