in iceland!

Not my own pictures...yet!

leaving!

"Wanderlust, the very strong or irresistible impulse to travel, is adopted untouched from the German, presumably because it couldn't be improved upon. Workarounds like the French passion du voyage don't quite capture the same meaning. Wanderlust is not a passion for travel exactly; it's something more animal and more fickle - something more like lust." -Elizabeth Eaves in Wanderlust


I'm reading this book now (started it earlier this summer & took a break because I wanted to finish it during my travels)...& I know it's one I'll read over and over again. I love the way she titles each chapter; ex: "on inspiration", "on coming & going", "on promises"..


And speaking of coming & going - I'm going to Iceland! Reykjavik, to be specific, and for a mere 24 hours. MK & I will head to JK this afternoon for our 8:30ish flight. Next post will hopefully be from Paris!


Europe awaits :)

& it truly begins…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

Leaving Chicago, off to New York!

For the first time in a very long time I had about an hour of down time to actually think about the big picture. For so long now I’ve been focused on lists, specifics of making sure I was prepared for this. Now that the lists are behind me…I cannot believe this is actually, finally happening. Too soon, yet not soon enough.

I need to thank & send my love to everyone that I’ve been able to spend time with this summer – my amazing friends, family, the families I’ve babysat for, & all those I’ve either met for the first time or reconnected with these past months. This summer has been one of great change & I wouldn’t have been able to be mentally & physically ready for this upcoming adventure without you all.

Keep reading – now the REAL fun begins J

19...

Just had my last training session at L.A. Fitness - hour long, full body = tired but jumping with endorphins & ready to take on these last 19 hours till departure! Had a wonderful & mostly productive packing session with LB & KO last night, including a walk to Hartigans (classic ice cream shop of childhood days) & bottle of wine. Now waiting on UPS to deliver my updated birth certificate so I can then run to Dad's office & scan all my important documents....such exciting stuff! ;)
A nice lunch planned with Mom & then meeting aunt M to pick up some beautifully designed stationary! 
There's more on my to-do list but i won't bore you with the rest...& must get back to running about!
wish me luck!

44

We’re beyond days now, time to count down the hours till I leave Evanston!

44 hrs to go:

Nabbed Italian & Spanish Rosetta Stone from a friend & am obsessed! Probably should have grabbed French, but at this point I’m just diving into that language when I arrive in Paris. I’m doing Italian now though – la donne cucina – the woman cooks! For the first couple lessons I was definitely mixing it with French pronunciation, oops! & the rolling “r’s” are different…I can do the French one but the Italian one is giving me a hard time (like in corre, run). Anyways, it’s awesome.

lake michigan

To catch up, last week I went out to Barrington & said goodbye to the extended Wood fam. I’m going to miss Thanksgiving with the Wood clan a LOT this year! Next day I was off to the Indiana Dunes National Seashore with KO for some camping! My version of camping is not roughing it – we filled her Prius with all of our stuff! 3 sleeping bags, mats, a few blankets, a cooler & a tub filled with food, a bottle of wine (bien sur), bananagrams, 2 tents (just in case), clothes, winter clothes (for the chilly night ahead) & several magazines – including the September issue of Vogue. So yes, we went “camping”! 

tentin' in style

it got a bit cold...

It was soo great to get out of the city & into nature. We did a couple short hikes around park, among the dunes & beaches. Both days it was really windy, but we managed to eat a sandy chickpea salad for dinner on the beach, from where you could see the teensy-tiny Chicago skyline. It was a short 24 hours, but I managed to slightly disconnect from the craziness of getting ready for France, etc & enjoy the moment, being outside, & being with KO.

Since then, I finished working for the summer. Have to admit, a lone tear rolled down my face when I had to leave H, the 1 ½ year old I babysat all summer. Damn cute kid.

The rest of my time has been spent on a mix of working out, working on my room, gathering things to pack, preparing for interviews and running errands.

Oops just remembered one thing I should have gotten done about OH 2 weeks ago – dfjaskfgslkg.

bises