A Girls' Weekend In...

Let me start by saying I am a very lucky woman. Some people spend years trying to find a group of women they completely connect with. Granted, I had to wait a few years but during my time at St. Thomas I found what I would call my girlfriend "soul mates." Ahh yes, it sounds so cheesy doesn't it? But I can't help but get all sentimental when I think about how fantastic these ladies are and what wonderful friends they have been. They are people that I completely respect and they make me want to be a better person. I am truly, truly blessed.

Once we graduated from college it was time to go our separate ways. We all left with the common (but perhaps, unspoken) understanding that no matter how far apart we are we will always make time to be together and to be there for each other. Fast forward to this Spring. We knew we needed to take a REAL Girls trip and seeing as Colleen is living in Cedarburg, WI we somehow settled on some time in Chicago. After countless emails and lots of planning we ended up with a fun-filled itinerary.

Here are a few of the trip highlights...

Al came up with the idea to have lunch at Frontera on our first day in Chicago. Now I had never heard of this restaurant or Rick Bayless but evidently this restaurant is a popular destination in Chi-town. Al called and made reservations for us a few weeks ahead and I'm so glad she came up with great lunch plans. We sipped ice cold margaritas and dined on gourmet Mexican dishes... it was heavenly! Give me a margarita and some fresh guacamole and I'm a happy girl. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Chi-town. It was a great way to start the trip.



Of course we HAD to take this picturesque opportunity by the Chicago River. This picture is definitely going into a frame and will be prominently displayed in my office!


Yes, yes more about food already! But let's face it: one of the best things about traveling is eating. Since we were in Chicago we wanted an "authentic" piece of deep dish pizza. We made our way to Gino's Pizzeria where it took them 1 HOUR to make the deep dish pizza pie. Although it was sweltering inside we had some delicious food and took our turn contributing to the graffitied walls and tables.


We had to spend some time at Navy Pier of course. While we were there we toured a beautiful stained glass museum (good idea, Co!), found a Jamba Juice, and rode the Ferris Wheel. We were also lucky to be there for the Chicago Air and Water Show. It was pretty cool to hear the Blue Angels in the background while walking around Chicago.


One of our favorite places was Millennium Park. It was EXTREMELY hot on Saturday so we took off our sandals and walked around in the Crown Fountain. I couldn't help but think what a great place this would be to bring your kids. There were so many children running around splashing in the water. It was a perfect way to cool off!


And who could forget our momentous trip to the Hershey's Store. We were all feeling a little sluggish that afternoon and it was just the pick up we (and by we, I mean Al) needed. I don't know if you've met my friend Al, but she LOVES chocolate. Yes a lot of people like chocolate but Al has an ongoing, serious and dare I say borderline criminal relationship with chocolate. Needless to say she enjoyed the store and we all got a good laugh out of it.


For our last night in Chicago we wanted to get dressed up and go out for a fancy dinner. We dined on delicious Italian food and shared Birthday tiramisu for Colleen & Anne's August birthdays. We also had the special treat of a retired Opera singer serenading our table. Who wouldn't love that? We also may or may not have taken some self-timed photos in the bathroom...


All in all I just can't believe how quickly the weekend flew by! We have so many memories to last us for a lifetime and I can't wait for the next Girls Trip. Love you Al, Anne & Colleen :)

~Christi