It's time to begin, isn't it?

First of all, sorry for taking so long to reply to comments. Life has a way of getting in the way of things.

So, my birthday. It snuck up on me, like it always does. And again this year, I faked the "OMG GUYS DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS" to my coworkers the day before my birthday (and Doc remembered, haha), because people are supposed to be excited for their birthdays right? I was expecting this year to be more of the same.

When I was little, I loved my birthday. And then I stopped loving it, and it was just a reminder of how much older I was getting and still in the exact same situation I was in years prior. And so, many of my birthdays have been spent drinking the day away and then drinking the night away with friends. My rule of not drinking while not incredibly happy is waivered on my birthday.

This year, though. This year was different. I had a plan. I wanted to go to the Taste of Chicago, and so I did. I did expect that melancholy to fall into the normal place it tends to on my birthday, but it didn't. I had no plan but the Taste, and it worked, because there is something to just walking around those familiar streets. I love Downtown Chicago.

It was early when I arrived, so the Taste wasn't even open, and truth be told, I wasn't even planning on eating anything anyway. (I know, I know. Who goes to the Taste and doesn't eat?) But I had to at least show up since I had told my coworkers more than a few times I was going, and they just so happened to be working it.

I hung around Millennium Park for a time. I just sat there and wrote in my notebook, while watching people pass by and it was amazing, especially since I haven't actually written anything in a good while. Three tourists apologized for disturbing my peace when they stopped by, but they really didn't. I've said it before, but I really love the few second interactions with people I wouldn't have met if I hadn't been sitting there at that moment. The curious stares of people as I looked up from time to time were amusing too.

I met the most awesome security guard at Millennium Park. He would sing and stop and make conversations with the people sitting around near the stream (? I dunno what it is. People use it to cool their feet.) and you could tell just how much he loved his job. I also received a book from a Chinese man, outlining his religion and what would happen if everyone in the world stopped eating meat, complete with rainbows and doves on the cover. Naturally, I read some of it. People have such interesting beliefs, and I actually like hearing about them.

I did end up eating at the Taste (come on, boneless buffalo wings, chocolate frozen bananas, TAMALES, who passes that food up. I mean, TAMALES). My coworker gave me some free tickets, since I snuck into the booth to say hi and it was my birthday. There was some famous person there, I guess, because they have professional camera people around offering to have pictures taken. I have no idea who he was, and then I just wandered after I ate that awesome food.

I ended up next to the lake and sat there for a while, next to one of the tour boats. Just watching the boats go by is relaxing.

I almost got ran over by a Segway gang getting there though. No, really.

And on the way back through the Taste, I ran into some street performers, and they were pretty good. The 15minute interlude of them collecting money was annoying (not them collecting money, but doing it for that long in the heat), but I watched them a while before continuing the wandering.

The Chicago Cultural Center is an amazing building. It really is, and there are some amazing things there. It was all art exhibits that day. I walked some of it with a French man, then the rest myself. They have these really pretty photographs of some of the most amazing buildings in Chicago, that was my favorite, followed by a Brazilian artist that took photographs, cut them, and arranged them in different ways with each other.

I ran into the street performers one more time after that, and watched them again, since it was a slightly different group this time around, and why not? It was great watching a taxi stopped in the street behind the performance and even the driver leaning over to watch it.

I feel myself changing more and more into that person I want to be. I could've easily spent this birthday the same as always, and sure, Chicago isn't a big leap for me, but I chose not to spend it wishing it were any day other than my birthday. I spent it doing the thing I want to do the rest of my life, which is have adventures and wander.

It was a great start to my vacation. Today, I hiked and have pictures of that I'll post another day as to not kill you with pictures. Tomorrow, I'm going back to Chicago and checking out the Art Institute with my mom. I've only been 24 for two days, and I've already been to more places than when I was 23.


As always, Chicago pictures.

( I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit, I'm just the same as I was. )