Hey, everyone! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted on here but since I’ll be getting back in the groove soon once I head to New Zealand, I wanted to share some of my recent Midwest memories with frequent visits to Chicago, Michigan, and the suburbs.

September 1-5

During my last post, I left off with visiting my brother Dan and sister-in-law Maisie. Afterwards, I went back up to Michigan for the Labor Day weekend. My dad had a music gig on the 1st.. It’s always cool to see him in his element – jamming. He joined a new band somewhat recently called Q Sonics – as it’s only a three person band, he gets to sing more than he has in the past which is really awesome to see.

On the 2nd, my parents had a little barbecue get-together with everyone in their condo association. We all ate food, talked, and then watched Top Gun: Maverick on a screen projector outside. It was nice to meet the people around the complex – my parents had mentioned a lot of them before, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to meet some of them yet. Lovely group – I’m glad my parents are surrounded by such a great community of people.

On the 3rd, my brother Mike and my nephew Dillan came out for a couple of days. We played cards, went to the beach. Dillan, my mom, and I foraged a gigantic mushroom out in the nearby woods. He also wanted to collect rocks/pebbles, so we walked around a nearby ravine, picking up all the cool ones. He’s got an app that identifies rocks/stones/pebbles. That was fun. He and I also played Fortnite in the evenings. At one point, Mike and I were both playing guitar and singing together.

September 6-10

On September 6th, I drove back to the suburbs with Mike and Dillan. Mike and I hung out, went to the pool for a while. Later, we went back to his apartment, listened to music and talked.

The next day, I went over to my brother Dan’s place. Dan and Maisie work during the day but when they’re working from home, we usually take the dogs for a long walk. One day, Dan and I went to Waterfall Glen – a nearby forest preserve with really nice walking trails. We saw a little mole, which I’d never seen before!

On the 8th, Maisie’s parents Ted and Peg (aka T & P) took us out to Pappadeux for Dan’s birthday. That was a good time and was the first time I’d had fish in a long while.

The following morning, I used Dan’s car to go visit my nephew Dillan and his mom Margarita. Margarita made lunch for us. We went for a walk, played some video games, and caught up.

On the 10th, I took Dan and Maisie out for Dan’s birthday. We went to this awesome Indian restaurant in St. Charles. Maisie baked a Japanese cheesecake for Dan and once finished, I helped decorate it. I’m not the best cook, but one thing I always do at Dan/Maisie’s is help chop vegetables when they’re making food. They spend so much time cooking so if I want to spend time with them, it’s better to join in on the preparation haha.

After dinner, my friends Joey and Rob picked me up and we went to see a late night showing of My Animal, a movie written by one of our beloved musicians, Jae of Boy Harsher. The movie was only showing in select theaters and we drove all the way to Gurnee to see it. Commitment! Excellent movie.

The following day, Dan drove me to the train station so I could head to the city.

September 11-14

The 11th was my first time back in the city after my very brief stint upon arriving in the states. I met up with some old coworkers at Carbon. They had work during the day but the idea was to spend time hanging out when they weren’t on calls. It was Gretchen, Lauryn, and Matt. Luckily, Matt had an easy day, so we were able to catch up for a long time. Gretchen and Lauryn were busier and were on calls most of the time but we all were able to have lunch together. Most people from the office still work from home majority of the time but I’m glad they made the effort to come in and see me. It was funny how much I remembered from my job – I probably could pick it up quite easily again one day if I wanted to.

From there, I went to Elliott’s apartment where I would be staying while in Chicago. Elliott got off work early. If I’m remembering correctly, I think he made us dinner and then I got us ice cream afterwards. Elliott was my partner prior to moving to Australia so we certainly caught up on missed cuddles. It was good to rekindle with him.

The next day was my first time seeing Michael – one of my best friends – since being back. He and his partner Brandon recently bought an apartment in the city and I hadn’t seen it yet. They also got a new dog, Toph. A dalmatian that I might turn into a coat one day. We sat on the back patio and talked for hours, only pausing to go pick up our dinner. Michael had gone to Australia years ago – he’s the one that gave me the idea about getting the Work and Holiday Visa. Bless him! He and I are peas in a pod and have been told many times that we look like brothers… even twins.

The 13th was my day with Elliott – he was off work and so we went to the Goodwill outlet in Indiana. This outlet is actually insane… they have massive bins of clothes that people just dig through. It’s kind of gross, but you purchase it by the pound so you can get a lot of cool stuff for cheap. I got myself a few things but the only thing that ended up really working out was a big, black, furry sweater.

On the 14th, I met up with my friend Jen for dinner at the Chicago Diner in Logan Square. It had been ages since I’d gone down to Logan but Chicago Diner never disappoints.

September 15-21

On the 15th, I took the train back to Michigan… where my mom had been cooking up a storm, as usual. I’m so blessed to have all these loved ones who have made me all these delicious home-cooked meals since I’ve been home. Thank you, everyone! Thank you especially to my mom!

My dad had a gig on the 16th which was really fun. It was at an outdoor venue during the daytime. It was a pretty busy event and a large crowd was watching my dad and his band play.

We decided last minute to invite my brother Mike and nephew Dillan to come up afterwards. They were waiting for us when we got back from the gig. For some reason, Dillan wanted $20 for a video game and so he decided to reenact a mock trial and sue my mom in hopes of winning. What a way to go about it! It was funnier than it sounds. My dad was the judge and he is such a goofball – he had us all in stitches. In the end, my dad basically threw out the case. We did two more mock trials before Mike and Dillan left. Dillan ended up getting that $20 after all. It was such a fun time.

After they left, my parents and I resumed our normal routine. We usually take Gizmo for one long walk each day and in the evenings, we usually watch movies or TV shows. My mom wanted me to binge The Bear and also the Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. Both were really excellent. We also spend lots of time eating the amazing food my mom makes.

September 22 – 30

On the 22nd, my dad drove me back to the city. This would be my longest time being in the city since being home and I was looking forward to catching up with friends.

On the 22nd, I had tickets to Six Flags amusement park. Dan and Maisie were supposed to come but they got sick so I had to scramble to find someone else to go. Luckily, Michael was available. We grabbed the tickets from my friend Lindsay and then drove up to Gurnee. The thing about these tickets was that it’s a private event and so there were only a limited amount of people in the park. We hardly had to wait in lines at all. It was so much fun! We went on a bunch of rides and had a great time together. I was bummed Dan and Maisie couldn’t come, but Michael and I enjoyed it nonetheless.

On the 23rd, my friend Kate was doing a diary reading at an event called Mortified. Every month, five people get up on stage and read embarrassing diary entries from their teens. She did such a great job and had me laughing more than any of the others. Afterwards, we went to a bar to chat for a while. Michael had also joined me for the event – so I was glad to see him again.

The 24th ended up being a free day. Elliott had work and I had no obligations whatsoever. It was my first time being truly alone since being back in America and I certainly took advantage of it… by staying inside the entire day and playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom haha.

The next evening, I joined my friends Beth, Lauryn, Madeline, and Kate for dinner in Wicker Park. We all used to work together so there was admittedly a lot of industry talk, but I enjoyed it. It’s fun to hear about all that stuff, especially when I’m not in the thick of it anymore.

The 26th was Elliott’s off day. He had a few errands to run but in the evening, we went out to eat at a Thai place. He also made me Hazel cake which is this special cake his mom makes him for his birthday each year. It’s so yummy! I’ve had a lot of cake since being home, because my mom has made a few cakes for me, too haha. Worth mentioning… I’ve gained 10 pounds since being home. LOL. I wonder why.

On the 27th, I met Gretchen in Andersonville for lunch. She was my Work Mom and had hired me as an intern fresh out of college. I love that woman! It’s so fun to spend time with her outside of work, too. We both got these delicious veggie burritos and I had a horchata to drink. Lonesome Rose – what a great restaurant!

That evening, I met Joey and Rob and we drove to Concord theater to go see a musician we all really like – COBRAH. It was such a blast! A very entertaining performance. Afterwards, we went to a diner and hung out for a while.

My final days in Chicago arrived sooner than I thought.

The next evening, one of my oldest and dearest friends, Lauren, came to town to see me from New York. We ordered tacos and hung out at her sister’s place. We watched a ridiculous Neil Breen movie called Twisted Pair. So awful… but so good. We were cracking up.

The next day, Lauren and I met up at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Surprising, right? Y’all know I don’t really care for zoos, but Lauren wanted to go and Lincoln Park Zoo is free, so I thought alright why not? We had a really fun day looking at all the animals. Michael met us for dinner at a tasty ramen spot and then we went back to Julia’s to hang out and watch another Neil Breen movie. An absolute blast.

The 30th was my last day in Chicago since I planned to spend the rest of my time based in Michigan with my parents. With that said, I decided to throw a little get together at the lake on the 30th for whomever wanted to come hang.

Terra, Rachel, Jake and their baby James arrived first.  Followed by Michael A and John.  Then Lauren, then Michael (with his dog Koda!), then my friend David.  It was a bit staggered.  Some people would join, then others would leave.  It was maybe not the best spot to pick as there were no public bathrooms around and not much shade to hide in either.  It was a warm day.  Still, it was really nice to hang with loved ones.

Eventually, it was time to go since I was getting picked up by Rob around 5pm and needed to collect my things from Elliott’s place ahead of that.  As with last time, it was weird to say goodbye to my friends.

I went back to Elliott’s place and read a card Michael wrote me and I started to cry.  The idea of leaving America again (and all my loved ones) hasn’t felt nearly as intense as the first time.  Partly because I’ve “been here” before, but also because this New Zealand stint won’t be as long as Australia was.  It’ll be about five months before I stop home again.  But still, I found myself crying – and surprised that I was crying, too.  

A little while later, Rob and Joey picked me up.  We drove up to Milwaukee to see Joey’s cousin Jeannette perform with her band at a county fair.  Jeannette did an excellent job and her band played some good songs. Rob, Joey, and I had a blast, as we always do when we’re together.

That night, we drove back to Lisle to stay overnight at Joey’s mom’s before heading up to Michigan the next day.

October 1-8

Joey and Rob joined me in Michigan on the 1st and the 2nd.  My mom prepared a bunch of meals for us and we all had a lovely time together talking and going on walks.  

We went to Galien River outlook, to the Warren Dunes State Park, to a little walking trail down one of the neighborhoods and finally to this really cool Chikaming Trail walk.  Surrounding these moments, the time together was punctuated with good conversation and great food.

Joey and Rob left Monday evening and then it was just my parents, me, and Gizmo again for a few days.  We resumed our typical routine. Good food, good movies, good conversation.

I saw Joey and Rob again Friday night – they picked me up late in the evening after they finished work and we drove to Sandusky, Ohio.  We have had plans to go to Cedar Point for months… maybe even a year?  We arrived at 3am and promptly went to sleep.

In the morning, we spent literally TWELVE HOURS riding rollercoasters.  Valravyn, Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force, and on and on and on.  So many great rides!  I was smart enough to take some aspirin ahead of the day to avoid headaches haha.  It worked!  And the best part of it all… Rob had gotten the Fast Passes (thank you, Rob!), so we hardly even had to wait in any lines.  We went on 15 rides that day.

The next day, we checked out of the hotel and drove to Michigan.  Before going back to my parents’ house, we stopped at IHOP for a late brunch and then went to see the new The Exorcist movie.  The boys were pretty exhausted and ended up falling asleep during parts.  I LOVED the movie.  Once back at my parents’ place, we discovered they’d made dinner for us!  We ate, talked for a long time, and then it was time to say goodbye.  

I was feeling it in my chest/throat prior to saying the actual goodbyes.  Joey, Rob, and I are a lovely little trio.  We talk constantly and they were very present during my time in Australia, where others had surprised me and kind of faded away.  I adore them both and am so grateful that we were able to see each other a number of times while I was visiting.  After leaving, I told them, “it’s weird how something so big [like saying goodbye for a few months] can feel so small.”  Joey agreed and said it feels like the ending of a great series.  “You go into it expecting some massive send off but so often you’re just sad that you won’t be following the characters anymore.”  We’ll still be following each other, but unfortunately it will be a while before we are in one another’s company again.  

October 9-16

And now, for the final week of my time in America before I head off to New Zealand.  I am with my parents for the next few days.  I return to Darien to see Dan and Maisie for two nights, and then I’m back in Michigan with my parents, Mike, and Dillan.  There’s still a lot of time to make memories with my family.  

Above all, I’m very lucky to have all this love in my life.  The past two months have been filled with such love and laughter.  Great conversations, lots of hugs… FOOD! It’s just been excellent.  It is weird to be leaving again, but I’ll be back sooner than later.  A huge, huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who has taken care of me and shared their love while I’ve been home. So many people went out of their way to show me they love me. Whether it was spending their time, money, or love… it was not unnoticed or unappreciated. I love you all!

Let the next journey begin… soon.