If I meet one more alumni I swear I'll...

...Love my school more than ever! No seriously, maybe it's because I live in the midwest, maybe it's because a lot of Alumni end up in Chicago, but I swear Everytime I talk to anyone and tell them what school I go to, they know someone who went there. If it wasn't themselves that went their, it's always their sister's ex boyfriend, their Aunt, their best friend's cousin, I could go on.

So today I have a short story that may not have all that much to do with Chicago, except if it weren't for the ACM program, I would not have met this person. Additionally, my spirits turned themselves around a bit yesterday, and I've had good motivation both yesterday and today, which is giving me the energy to write this. I'm glad, because I was very sullen last week.

Apologies, to the point. So today, I met Heather. She is one of the program associate's for ACM, and manages a bunch of the study abroad programs. I was at the ACM office today (The one on Wacker Dr, not the Chicago program office) and I thought it was cool when I found out she was an Alum, but I think she was more intrigued than I was, as she came up to me and started asking about my majors! It was so nice to be able to talk to someone who knows Lake Forest, the campus, certain inside references, ect. And I think she liked hearing about things that were currently going on. I mean, unless Alumni are visiting my campus for the purpose of talking to students, I never really know what to say to an alum in an offbeat setting, because sometimes they are just not interested. I was super glad she initiated the conversation, and I think I ended up taking up half her lunch break with all my babbling! Let's just say we talked for a while. She gave me some good advice, made me feel connected, and gave me hope for still being connected to my school, even after I graduate.

It's the little encounters like these, where I had planned to be home by a little after 12 but didn't end up leaving the ACM office til 12:45, that just make my days worth while. It boosted my mood, and again it was another opportunity taken in the spur of the moment and so worth it. Maybe I will start connecting with more Alumni. Peace.

Neighborhood Adventures, minus the documentation.

Sorry for no pictures this week, the only opportunity I felt could have benefited from pictures, which I will get to a bit later, is the one where I forgot my camera. Hence you will have only my words to go by.

I felt my like my morning story and my Chicago adventures this past week required separate posts, otherwise It would be one really really really long post.

Anyways the past two Friday's have been really good highlights for me in our class known as Core Course. Two Friday's ago, we got to explore one of Chicago's many secrets, The Pedway. I already knew a little about the Pedway from one of my teachers, Robyn, and she told me about this shortcut to get to school. I was a little hesitant when she said it was underground, thinking it sounded a little sketchy, but she was like no, no, it's a shopping mall. Now I was really confused but willing to give it a try. So the next day I got off the blue line at Washington (instead of Clark and Lake) and since then I've been hooked. It's so much faster! I knew that the Pedway extended far past where I turned up the stairs to go to the street level, and promised that I would explore where it leads to someday, not knowing that that day would be so soon! Our core course teacher's Robyn and Mary, decided to take our class on a Pedway adventure, and I got to explore more of the Pedway territory, and I can now get anywhere I need downtown using this amazing system.

Yesterday however, was a whole new experience entirely. Our Core course class was split up into 2 groups to study 2 different neighborhoods, one was assigned to go to Bronzeville and and my group was to go to Humbolt Park. I knew a bit about both neighborhoods, and knew there was much more to them than there bad reputations. I was glad I got to go to Humbolt Park, as Peurto Rican influence was much more interesting to me as I have friends who are Peurto Rican, or who are from that area. The goal was to learn by talking to people from the community (meetings that were set up by our teachers) and it was so amazing. In the morning I got to meet Brooke, an amazing and young 20 something who founded a non profit arts center called Rumble Arts which offers free art programming and free community space to the community of Humbolt Park. She gives and finds programming that the community wants, not what she wants to give. In less than four years it has gone from her and 1 room to 3 floors of an entire building and 8 partner organizations. She is so inspirational and it is really cool talking to someone who is doing exactly what I want to do, giving back to people especially the arts.

The rest of our day was just as cool, we ate some pretty good Peurto Rican food for lunch, and visited the Intsitute of Peurto Rican arts and Culture which is a beautiful building with a history that intrigued me. At that point, I was wishing that we could have heard about the other parts of Humbolt Park, not just the highly publicized Puerto Rican side, but had settled with the fact that since we were at a Puerto Rican Center, that was just what our teachers had set out for us to learn about today. HA! Little did I know about a fiesty Peurto Rican named Dr. Jose Lopez, who, in my opinion, if he wasn't spending his days being the face of Humboldt Park, should be a professor at a university. This man told us stories, and did explain the whole Humbolt Park, and almost put more emphasis on the African American influence than anything else. He was very entertaining to listen too, and I think I learned more from him historically and educationally than I have all semester. If he was a professor, I would take every class he offered. Peace.

Monkey Business

So I just thought this is a cool pic in general and thought it would be a good way to end the night. This is the Monkey Box (or at least that's what I think it's called?) that was parked outside the ACM CP Office:

Peace

6 people, one shower,

Well at least the whole one shower thing was a success this morning. we will continues to figure out a good schedule, I'm sure.

hysterically a coincidence, my new roommate is the other Emily Summers! but she is super sweet and I'm so glad she is. :)

We all stayed up a bit to late but all slept very well. Today is officially our first day of actual orientation and I think I speak for all of us when I say we are all really excited. There is some sort of city scavenger hunt today though, which I don't think us running around outside in the cold is that great. Hopefully though the weather does not seem to bad.

I am so busy I don't even have time to thin about the tragedies of late until I rest my head on my pillow at night. Sometimes I just feel like crying then, but I usually just try to get distracted in a book and forget about the world. Any suggestions on dealing with any of this? Peace.

ps: sending prayer for my papa (grandpa) today who is having knee surgery. <3

Hyde What?

Hello all, tonight's going to be a short one but thought I'd let you all know that I am officially a chicagoan, if that's what its called. This a picture of the apartment I'm staying at temporarily until mine's ready next weekend. Right now I'm in Hyde park and I will be moving to Logan square, an awesome neighborhood with a diverse mix of people.

Here's a funny coincidence for you. I'm here early for the semester because I'm helping the ACM office with some clerical and cleaning work, along with one other student Emily Summer's. Crazily there are 2 Emily Summer's doing the Chicago thing this semester and the other one (who's not here yet) is one of my new apartment mates in Logan Sqaure! How awesome is this. And possibly a bit confusing in the near future. Hope you all are fantastical and as always, Peace.

Hello Next Chapter of This Thing We Call Life!

So, for those of you who actually take the time to read my tiny little blog, much thanks, and be aware that the audience for my blog just got a little more global. Ok maybe not literally global, but I'd like to give you all a brief update on some things.

I am now officially was they call and "ACM Global Ambassador". I like the fancy title just as much as you do. Ok enough with the humor it's actually really important and I am so thrilled to be representing ACM Chicago over the next five 6 months or so.

So what does this all mean? well as you may or may not have known I won't be at my little bubble of a school that we call LFC next semester, because starting in T minus 60 days or so, I will be moving into an apartment in the AMAZING city of Chicago and studying all the wonderful things about the arts there for a few months! I get to have and internship and do this independent project and participate in all this schnazzy stuff thanks to ACM (by the way that stands for associated colleges of the Midwest, and being a part of that system is one of the many thing I love about where I go to school)

OK OK I seriously need to get to the point. So how does this Ambassador thing relate to my blog audience? Well essentially the main part of my job is to write a blog about my experiences during the program. I figured heck since I already have a blog, and was planning on telling all of you (meaning the lonely 5 of you that currently read this blog) about my experiences, why not tell more people and get recognized for doing it?

I'll let you all into my brain a little bit more later regarding how I am preparing for this giant City that stand in front of me. As for now, just know that I am very very excited. Peace.