1. Having a car in the City can sometimes be a hassle, but nighttime drives back up Lake Shore Drive after work on the South Side often put a smile on my face. The windows are down, the sunroof is open, and there's a cool breeze off the lake on a balmy summer night. The stereo's cranked up. The beautiful skyline is coming at me on the left, Soldier Field, Navy Pier and boats play in the safe harbor on the right. I'm in the home stretch coming around the big double bend, which is the best part because the road opens up and there's plenty of room to run.
2. Howling at the blood moon lunar eclipse with 1000s of other Chicagoans on the shore of Lake Michigan was a once in a lifetime experience. And while living with people stacked on top of people isn't one of my favorite parts, the convenience, never ending supply of good food and things do to and see, as well as that experience wouldn't be possible without it. Big cities can teach us about the strength of many. 3. Chicago’s architecture gives the City a unique flavor. Whether taking in the immense buildings from the powerfully low vantage point of a tour on the Chicago River, or pondering the stories old buildings with names etched into amazing stonework hold, it’s easy to stumble across amazing buildings, churches and homes whose style is distinctly Chicago. With limited space to roam, we built up, giving us rooftops to enjoy and a one-of-a-kind city to look out over as the el train rumbles by. 4. Wrigley Field is everything you would want it to be; old, nostalgic and full of tradition: Rooftops peer in on the action from Waveland and Sheffield, ground rule ivys, home runs from the other team tossed back on the field, billy goat curses... Just the other night I heard the crowd singing "Go, Cubs, Go" from my apartment a mile away after a walk off win. Someday they'll go "All the Way" and I'll be very tempted to come back and join the neighborhood fun. 5. The first really, really, really cold day of the year. It's a badge of pride knowing that we have what it takes to tough out the season and days ahead. Whether you like it or not, it doesn't matter, all you can do is embrace it, and I may honestly laugh at anyone in Colorado who tells me "It's soo cold out!" They have no idea. 6. Long runs down the lake front. I have great respect for the city planners who initially laid out the City and fought to keep the lake front wide open for all of us to enjoy. Chicago wouldn’t be the same without their vision, and I likely never would have got back into running or accomplished the Chicago Marathon without an amazing path to run down next to Lake Michigan. 7. Sundays at the schoolhouse: This ward has changed my life and I've learned so much from so many people here. I love meeting at the school and finding and feeling peace in a place where little kids were bouncing off the walls only 48 hours earlier. The quiet and focused sacrament meetings, great class comments, and the powerful testimonies each month strengthened and uplifted me while this was my home. Thank you all. 8. Can you remember the first time you rode the 'el'? Etched in my mind is the moment we get past the tall buildings and awning of the Merchandise Mart. We've popped out of the shadows and onto the Wells St. Bridge. I'm looking east at just the right moment at one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen. The morning sunshine glistens off the river and skyscrapers stretching down either side towards the lake. This is Chicago, and she is beautiful. 9. Trying to comprehend what was the lush dense forests and marshland that existed here before the city took root. I like to believe that what was once here was equally as impressive as the City is today based on my experiences in Chicagoland's forest preserves and golf courses. I sometimes like to imagine all the green running right to the edge of a pristine Lake Michigan and how amazing that must have been. 10. The rain: Whether it's the inner voice yelling "You have t-minus 5 to get inside before this sky starts falling", or being lulled to sleep listening to REAL rain storms pound the streets and sidewalks, the rain and storms in this city are something special and iconic that have left their mark.
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Alexander McNaChronicles of my journey into the nursing profession. Archives
September 2018
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