wining and dining.

Ah, la vie de les jeune. 

Waggoner Weekend

A few weeks ago, I took a long-overdue trip south to my old college town, Bloomington-Normal, to visit an old college friend.

I hadn't seen Sarah for over a year, selfishly forsaking her for the allure of the foreign experience. Seeing her again, brought back a rush of memories and sparked our friendship back into life. I didn't forget, but I didn't remember either how much I love this girl.

We headed south to her hometown for a day. I had spent a Thanksgiving in Litchfield with her family a few years ago, and had a blast in this rural small town. Her family and friends are just amazing; it was wonderful to see them again. Plus, there was a wedding going on! Who doesn't love weddings?

Later, we headed to the towns Thanksgiving Bingo Night. There's an indication of a 'Cake Raffle' somewhere in that title, but it escapes me. The cake raffle was first; for each cake, 40 tickets were sold for a quarter. The giant Cake Wheel was spun, and the winner claimed their cake. Now, this might seem a bit mundane to you, but, rest assured, the tension was running high during this activity. I had to check myself a couple to times after getting much too excited and knocking several different items over. I was ecstatic when I won a delicious cake, made by none other than Sarah! Score!

Next was bingo, played for prizes of hams and turkeys. So much fun I had to play two boards.




That night, we hit the town. Dance, Dance, and then some.

Since this weekend, we've talked on the phone almost everyday. She's coming to visit me and my Chicago life in a few weeks in January. I absolutely cannot wait.

Potrait of a City

It's an odd carry over process for me, transferring the activities I have enjoyed so much over the past two years of globe trotting. I have stopped taking photographs like I used to, as, in my mind, it's associated with travel. I've stopped blogging, given the same reason. Recently, though, I've really felt the pull back to these activities. My two lives (life pre-travel and life post-enlightenment) are merging together, and I love the person I have become. 

That said, I have begun to explore the more creative aspect of both photography and the written word. My photographs are more experimental, utilizing the complicated array of manual controls that my camera offers. I have begun to explore poetry as well, and, although I haven't begun to write my own yet, I really enjoy reading various authors' work. 

Chicago is a wonderful city, full of enticing art and fantastic scenes just brimming with energy and emotion. My [pre-mature] New Years resolution is to really concentrate on capturing the city in photos, and record and explore my experience here. 

Starting now.

Portrait of a City

I forgot how much I ♥ scrapbooking...

... and hanging out with Candace! I got together with my student teaching mentor for an afternoon of mostly conversation, but we did fit some scrapping in. One page down! 

Watch for more to come - I am definitely taking the time for this hobby starting ahora.