But, I do have one slight problem. I want a road bike. My Schwinn cruiser is awesome and all, but it's heavy, with big, clunky 'ol tires and altogether wrong for my current terrain and the terrain I will be biking on in Chicago.
But...(oh, how I love these catch-22's) I don't have money for a road bike, since they are notorious for costing a fortune; even the used newbie-style bikes without any of the top-notch products or add-ons are rumored to be in the $200's and $300's, easily. And I won't get much on a trade-in with my Schwinn, considering it was purchased at Target for $130 or so.
Hopefully, I will find a great sale on craigslist or even at a bike shop around town. I wouldn't even mind waiting until we get to Chicago in August to trade in my bike somewhere and get a better deal on a road bike. I just know that my current bike will not do me justice in a big city, where I have to move fast and try not to run the risk of getting hit by a car. Maybe I should be looking into purchasing a helmet too... :)
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In other news in my life, the trip to Miami and Chicago are only a day away!! I haven't even started packing...
We leave tomorrow to head down to South Beach, where we'll stay with John's sis, Hillary, while John completes his first phase in the Sommelier certification, his first Sommelier class and test. Then, on Tuesday, we'll drive back up to Orlando, stay with John's mom overnight (my family will be out of town -- ALL of them! Mom will be in New Orleans with Grammy, and Alex and Dad are in GA already, with my two uncles - Michael and Marcus, Grandpa, and my cousin, Tyler...a guys week in the mountains). We'll be flying out of Orlando on Wednesday night, getting to Chicago sometime around 10pm, and waking up the following morning to begin our hunt for the perfect apartment. Well, we're not caring so much about perfection for our first one. We just want it to be cheap, have enough walking, sleeping, eating, etc. space, and be accessible to everything, including transportation and my school (along with where John will end up working). I made an appointment with the so-called "free" Apartment People, who will supposedly take us around town and show us at least 4-8 apartments within our price range and with the amenities we want. I guess having three cats will play a role in where we will be able to stay, but I wouldn't trade those 3 darling kitties for anything in the world. I don't mind paying a little extra for them. <3
I'm excited though! I've already got the names, addresses, and numbers of who to contact for 15 other apartments around the Lincoln Park and Lakeview areas, so I definitely feel we will be able to find something and apply/get approved for something during the 3 days we'll be up there. It will be possibly nerve-wrecking, but exciting -- the story of my life for the past couple of months.
I just keep reminding myself not to freak out everyday, and to take in every moment as it comes. Worrying does nothing except make me feel as though all my nerves are shot, and I do better when I just think about the here-and-now, rather than the future events. Sometimes, I find myself worrying about crazy imaginary scenarios, like what I'll do during the winter in Chicago, or what if something happens to my family when I'm so far away, or if they're all in Japan and I get hurt in Chicago. It's crazy, because they're all stories I make up in my own head. I guess in part it's because a small part of me is nervous, and it's also because everything is so unknown in this process. I'm not sure what to expect from graduate school, I have no idea at this moment where we will be living in a month and a half, and who's to say where I will be mentally, physically, emotionally in three, six, nine, or 12 months from now?! But, the more and more I dwell on it, I'm able to fully feel my emotions on it, and let them slowly fall away. I want this whole journey to be exciting, and while I know nothing will be perfect about it, I want to learn from it and do the best I can while I'm in it. My memories are what I get to take and keep with me, so they're the most important ability I have at this moment -- besides John. He has been and is my rock and steady arm through all of this. I feel so grateful that we are doing this together. I feel much more calm knowing that he is in my future. :)
So, while I get ready for our week off searching and exploring various cities and new homes, I will keep in the back of my head our to-do's for when we're back because that'll start the next phase of packing, more organizing, and getting ready for our hike in July! I'm super psyched about our Appalachian Trail trek again this year, and so happy that John, Alex, Liam, and maybe even Zach, will be coming along with Hannah, Donnie, and I. I feel like this will be the start to a family tradition that we will keep going every year. Plus, I get to use my brand-new Kelty pack for the first time! Yay!
So, I really have a lot to be thankful for and be looking forward to. My summer is only just beginning and believe me, I will probably have a million stories to tell by the end of it all. But for the time being, I want to sit back and relax, and relish in the moment(s) I have today, because, god, it sure is beautiful. <3
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