Flowers.

A sea of photos detail the beginnings of my May.

This past Friday, my friend and I ventured to Chicago for the weekend. We didn't have any rhyme or reason for our trip, and literally on a whim saw flight deals from Houston to Chicago and decided to randomly go. In the midst of looking for hotel rooms, we discovered that the NFL draft was being held the same weekend we were scheduled to be in town as well as a host of other events. We set off with no agenda or itinerary, just the desire to enjoy ourselves and have a good time.

It was close to midnight by the time we made it to our hotel. Danielle, who checked us in at the front desk, armed us with a ton of suggestions on places we should visit while we were in town. After debating over whether we wanted to be old ladies or venture out, we decided to get our lives together and head out towards Hubbard Street.

First off, our hotel was perfectly situated by the river and walking distance from a large majority of the sights we wanted to see. As we walked towards Hubbard, we stumbled upon a display of all the NFL teams in the courtyard directly across from the Chicago Tribune.

And of course we had to represent for the home team, and take some obligatory photos by the Texans helmet... I'm not a big NFL person surprisingly, but I do love my JJ Watt team.

I'm easily distracted, so of course I was mesmerized by the architecture, the sculptures and just the overall essence of the city at nighttime.

I snapped some pictures of the columns, and then turned my attention back to the NFL display....

I love New Orleans, so I snapped a quick shot of the Saints helmet for good measure & we continued our journey in search of Hubbard.

Let me first start off by saying that Hubbard Street was a lot. It's very reminiscent of 6th Street in Austin... a lot of drunk co-eds, a lot of too short dresses and too high heels and lest I not forget... drunk co-eds. Maybe ten years ago this type of scene would have excited me, but now it just makes me hold on to my purse tight and frown judgingly. I'm all about a good drunk fun time circa Bourbon Street (in New Orleans) but people under the age of 25 haven't really mastered the art of knowing their limits... There were plenty of people stumbling to the ground, police/ambulance, and a whole lot of vomit.

Not cute at all....

We both agreed that we were too old for this scene and decided to go out in search of food... but unfortunately we did not leave fast enough, because by the time we had made it halfway out of hell the crowds, an unidentified gentleman grabbed at my friends parts. Fortunately she was able to swat his hand away before he was able to get a handful of the merchandise, but it stood as yet another reminder that we did not need to be on Hubbard. We were also accosted by a pimp and a ton of people selling CD's.

Welcome to Chicago, I guess.

Needless to say, we spent the rest of the night devouring our food, and laughing hysterically at the events of our short time on Hubbard.

Although it was well after three am when we went to sleep, we still woke up bright, early & anxious to see the city.

It,
Was,
Absolutely,
Amazing,
Outside.

Literally breathtakingly amazing weather....

I said I wanted blooms for May, and boy did I receive them. Tulips everywhere. Beautiful flowers lined the streets as we made our way down Michigan Avenue & the Magnificent Mile. I waved at Nordstrom's as well continued our trek to the Navy Pier. Let's just say we did a LOT of walking....

So much so that we devoured lunch, and then splurged on churros & vodka flavored snowcones. While we enjoyed our treats, we were overcome with the beauty of it all. Sometimes a beautiful day, can remind you of just how beautiful your life really is. We had to take a praise break and just absorb our surroundings..... It's truly a blessing to be able to experience so many things. We had to take a moment to acknowledge just how far we had come & and just how much more we had to go.

I'm glad I was able to share that moment with my friend, in light of that weekend being the anniversary of us passing the bar and overcoming so much to make it in our profession.

Good stuff.

From the Navy Pier, we walked to Millennium Park, through the Art Institute and over to NFL Draft town.

Again I'm not the biggest NFL fan, but we still had to represent for the home team.... Go Texans!

After all of those miles walked, we crashed for a few hours then woke up ravenous. We decided to try Lou Malnati's for dinner & were treated to a pure orgasmic experience with our deep dish Italian sausage classic Chicago pizza.

Devoured.

Through instagram hashtags, I found an event for us to attend that night at NYCH gallery. We didn't know what to expect, but surprisingly ended up having a great time and meeting some really nice people. We watched the fight, admired the art, laughed at the locals then ubered to Greektown where we sat another hour talking to our new friends....

It was after 3 when we made it back to our room. After sharing a few more laughs, I fell asleep. I think the laughs are the best part of all our trips. The memories last, but the jokes and laughter last even longer in my opinion. I can't always remember where I went, or who I met but I can always remember the moments that made me laugh until tears stream down my eyes.

We were up early again to check out of our hotel & meet up with our friends who live in Chicago for brunch. It was great to catch up and pick up right where we left off with friends neither of us had seen in over 3 years. The food at Wildberry's Pancakes was also amazing. (The bacon omelet, hashbrowns & apple pecan cinnamon pancakes tasted way better than they photographed...)

After brunch we headed back down the Magnificent Mile so I can could get some shopping done. I didn't buy much, but I did buy a lovely pair of sunglasses that I will be wearing the heck out of this summer. After that, we were ready to go retrieve our luggage and make our way back to the airport so we could catch our flight.

What started off as a spontaneous trip to Chicago, literally ended up being full of beautiful moments & scenes that I will cherish for years to come. Life can be absolutely beautiful, and sometimes it takes letting go and just taking that leap without truly having a plan to experience the greatest moments of all. I feel as if we had over thought this trip it would not have been as fun. It was fun exploring the city, taking in the sights and being forced to acknowledge just how blessed I am. Around every corner was a bright speckle of color turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

May will definitely be full of flowers.