Goodbye Texas,

I’m going on an adventure to Chicago; a job I couldn’t turn down and a new city to explore.

Excitement, nerves, and sadness too, I will miss my Dallas friends and family more than I can say. You have challenged me, helped me grow and given me a community where I fit for the first time in my life. For that and so much more I am forever grateful.

Wherever I go I’ll always love Texas

rukusrazor:

Chicago natives - brother & sister group - Smasher of SXSW.

Wild Belle - Keep You

Hello and good morning music.

(I love this band, their name especially).

Hello jorts,

Yo icanhasissues,

After exhaustive googling I found the leopard jorts Iggy Azalea wore at her show.

YOU ARE WELCOME.

(We both donned cardigans and ballet flats that night. Whitest white girls in all of Chicago, represent).

Hello I ate everything in Chicago and died a happy, happy girl.

I took a whirlwind trip through Chicago visiting the loverly Icanhasissues over the weekend. 

We saw Iggy Azalea do it her way…cotton candy, lace, and gold. It was a great show, but our weekend’s theme was quality food and dining. I love food. I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT and Chicago, to me, is the Emerald Food City of My Dreams.

Straight from the airport we sought out Publican Quality Meats. We shared the Charcuterie Plate: black pepper salami, blood head cheese, pork pie, turkey galantine, morteau sausage, pickles, mustard and wedges of good cheese, simply delightful!

The Iggy Azalea concert was badass. It was at Reggies (in the hood). Small venue, great set, awesome people watching, and girl has serious talent. Even more badass it ended at 9:30, giving us plenty of time for dinner so we rolled over to Scafflaw, a classy gin joint. I was impressed that the doorman was wearing a pair of silver sparkle wingtips and told him so. We dined on pork belly, scallops, and fries, but the gin cocktails hit every note. I had the Basil Bramble (North Shore #11 gin, lemon, combier mure) and my girl had the Bebbo (Letherbee gin, lemon, orange, honey syrup). 

Dessert was necessary, so we headed to Black Dog in Bucktown for goat cheese cashew caramel and pistachio gelato. I was so thoroughly engrossed in mine I don’t remember what Icanhasissues had.

Sunday brought homemade jams on baguette and tea followed by Dim Sum lunch in Chinatown with pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, and other tasty treats. I ate everything and it was all delicious. 

Consuming great food is hard work, so after lunch we napped and watched bad Bravo TV. I think we angered the neighbors with shouts of “What the effing EFF is going on with these crazy broads?!” (edited for the kiddos)

After napping, we made reservations at Owen&Engine & OhMyGod. I had two Pimms Cups (heaven in a glass), pickled vegetables (heaven in a crock), and the burger (heaven in my belly).

Then to historic Margies Candies where we picked up a hot fudge sundae to-go for our Game of Thrones finale viewing party. 

More screaming at the television and more disgruntled neighbors.

Monday morning dawned and we popped into Glaze and Infused on the way to the airport. Maple bacon bar (photographed for posterity). DONE.

In conclusion, I love Icanhasssues, I love food, and I LOVE CHICAGO.

Hello Saipan,

I can’t believe it’s been five months since my trip to Tokyo and Saipan.

The end of grad school is making me itch for a new adventure. 

I’m going to Chicago to hug it out with icanhasissues in June and planning trips to Seattle, New York and Brazil later this year.

How am I going to pay for all that globe trotting?

I have no idea.

Broke is my middle name.

All I know is I need to roam around a bit.

GPOY - layover study session on my way to Chicago edition.

That’s right, I’m going to CHICAGO!!

Fabulous friend, food and Chromeo await me,

But for now I’m waiting, tweeting, texting…

And I need to read this damn book.