My 33rd Birthday

Last week I turned 33 and spent the week in Chicago for work. Since it was my first week at the customer, I worked a lot. I consistently put in hours before all-day meetings and hours after those meetings. It was a good week and I'm pleased with the work I did. By Thursday night, I was tired from all the work.

Since it was my birthday, I decided to walk from my hotel to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate, the sculpture affectionately known as The Bean. The weather was gorgeous; it seems spring is coming early to Chicago. I walked down Michigan Avenue, aka the Miracle Mile, and enjoyed people watching. I was struck by how popular boots are for women in Chicago. It seemed every other woman was wearing a pair. It was similar to San Francisco a couple years ago. Eventually I arrived at the park and finally saw Cloud Gate in person. I've enjoyed pictures of it for awhile now - photos of the sculpture are so fascinating because of the reflections. The sculpture is truly wonderful in person. At night, all the lights from the skyscrapers surrounding the park reflect off it creating an artificial skyline on the sculpture. It was magical.

I stood in awe of the beauty of the sculpture, the city, the night. I was brought to tears thinking about how amazing my life is. I am 33 and have so much to be thankful for. I'm healthy. I have a great job that is challenging and exciting. I am loved. I love. I travel and have seen so much of the world. I am so fortunate to have so much. It was a moment I hope to remember for a long time. It was a chance to reflect on my life and feel grateful. I never imagined my life would be this cool, but it is!

Eventually, I explored the rest of the park. I was especially taken with the walking bridge to the Art Institute of Chicago and headed that way. Lucky for me, the museum has free admission from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. every Thursday thanks to Target Free Thursday Evenings. (Thanks, Target!) I spent a couple hours wandering around the museum and enjoying the art. I especially enjoyed the exhibit of William Eggleston's photography and the gallery with architectural design. The evening ended with a relaxing walk back up Michigan Avenue and dinner back at the hotel.