Taking a swing

 

With help from Michael over the past few years, I’ve taken on a new hobby: golf! It’s definitely been a learning experience but I love that it’s something we can do together. This sport takes patience, practice and more patience! But most of all it's just fun to get out and play with friends. 

It's one of our favorite summer past times, so it was no question we would bring our clubs with us to Chicago. One of our friends is a PGM major and is doing an internship at a course in a Chicago suburb, so we've been able to golf on some pretty snazzy courses out here. What are your favorite hobbies to do in the summer months?

My best friend (one of them :)

Having fun trying to take a picture. This is typical!

Sweet Summertime

Before moving to Chicago everyone continued to rave about the amazing Chicago summers. I now understand why!

Although we’ve been lucky with beautiful weather, summer in the city has lived up to my high expectations. As a lover of all things outdoors and bright colors, we’ve taken advantage of the Lake Shore Drive running/biking trail, North Avenue beach, outdoor dining and grilling, and have spent numerous hours in the park and exploring our new neighborhood.

We’ve taken full advantage of our apartment’s rooftop by either sipping on a glass of wine or, my personal favorite, grilling with sangria. It’s a great spot to socialize with friends, which we’ve done once, and plan to do more once we make more friends. :) 

 

Sangria

View of the Harbor.

My grilling buddy :)

We’re steps away from the Lake Shore Drive running/biking trail (that stretches 27 miles long!) so we biked to the North Avenue beach with Harley, only to find out dogs weren’t allowed on the beach. Luckily there was a great little grass area where we camped out for a bit.

Hydrating after a mile bike ride to the beach.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite summertime drink! My friend gave me her recipe and I can’t get enough! It's kind of a "pour until it tastes right" recipe.

Summertime Sangria

1 bottle Pinot Grigio

Lemonade

Rum (4 oz)

Triple Sec (4 oz)

1 cup brown sugar (melt sugar on stove top)

Fruit (Strawberrys, Oranges, Apples, Berrys) 

Harley’s Heaven

 
Around 3 years ago when we decided to get Harley I never knew what an important part of my life he would become. So when it came to the move I was a little worried with how he would adjust.

I’m happy to say that I don’t think he could be happier. We have a dog beach and park just a quick walk away. Since he’s part Golden Retriever, he LOVES the water. I’ve never seen a dog sprint so hard and play so long in the water before. The dog beach has been great, because not only can he run around leash free, but he also gets to play around with other pups. When we lived in Lincoln, Harley didn't get socialized enough, so I'm hoping we can make up for that while in Chicago. I can't say we mind the view of the dog beach either. I can’t get enough of the harbor. 

Then there’s the “dog park.” It’s not a designated dog park, but everyone lets his or her dogs off the leash so we followed suit. I was worried that he wouldn’t listen to us and would take full advantage of being leash free with the city at his disposal. But luckily, he’s been very good and runs right around us and comes back when we call him. 

The only "problem" with Harley is that he lives off of a routine. And when I say live, I mean that he usually knows when it's time do something often before I do! So now when the evening hits he gets so excited for his time spent out doors with his new puppy friends.

Having a dog in the city has been a great conversation starter. Harley gets compliments every time we step out the door. While he's busy making doggy friends, I get a chance to meet my neighbors. I think it helps that he's such a sweet dog and instantly befriends people and dogs alike. I hope any dog lovers out there appreciate this post. :)

The Big Move

Harley and I busy packing.

Wow, what a whirlwind these last few weeks have been. I can hardly believe it’s June 11^th! On May 14^th I left for Europe for 12 days with a good friend. We traveled to London, Paris and Rome; but that deserves a blog post of its own! When I got back to the states I was anxious to get home to see my family before I took off for the windy city. While home we celebrated my birthday and before I knew it I was back in Lincoln packing for Chicago!

It’s hard to believe how much stuff one can accumulate over a couple years. I was leaving my apartment complex of nearly 3 years and boxing my things up, along with Michael's, was not as easy as it used to be. But with lots of elbow grease and organization, we loaded up the U-Haul and were off for Chicago bright and early, June 1^st!

Loading up late Thursday night.

Saying goodbye to Apartment 93

Bright and early Friday morning before getting on the road.

Harley enjoying his little nook in the backseat.

Michael and I were lucky enough to have my brother and sister-in-law help us move. With my brother’s strength and driving the U-Haul the move went very smooth. We even accidentally took I-80 and avoided the dreaded toll ways on the way. It was supposed to rain, but luck was on our side again with lots of sunshine. When we entered Chicago we also got a glimpse of rush hour, which I will now be avoiding at all costs. But nonetheless we arrived at our new home at 5PM and began to unload and unpack. It was only natural to order in Chicago deep dish for our first meal and first house guests!

After a couple days of organizing and strategic thinking, we were settled! Since then we’ve enjoyed the lake shore running and biking path that are steps away from our apartment, the dog beach and Lincoln Park that Harley can’t get enough of and have been exploring our new neighborhood. We’ve spent time with old and new friends and I think it’s safe to say we are all feeling right at home!

Until next time,

Belinda