Pursuit Of Happiness: as far from the desert you can get and still be able to breathe

Hello avid followers! OH HA HA.

Anyway. I spent three blissful days in Athens, catching up with everyone, including the most gorgeous girl in the world:

Ignore the thing on the right

And then I flew to Chicago! I'm interning with Farr Associates, an architecture/urban design firm that basically championed the creation of the new LEED Neighborhood Development standard, which takes LEED beyond looking at single buildings. Instead, it tries to take into account the surrounding area with a more holistic approach. I say try because it has to be general enough to apply to developments worldwide, while providing enough site-specificity to each project's unique environment.

Monday I went into the office for their weekly office meeting to meet everybody. The working environment seems quite jovial. Apparently they always ask their new people to do an interpretive dance or sing a song. And then they ask if you can drive a forklift, and whether you've been in a building that burned down. I didn't have to embarrass myself, thankfully, and in case you're wondering, I answered 'no' to both questions.

I was walking around taking photos when I realized I had been to this exact same spot three years ago with Castile, Rob, Allen, Kiah, J Wang, Kyle, and Ian. For the national academic team tournament, no less!

I'm subleasing with Haley, Austin's sister, who goes to the Art Institute here. She has a swank apartment that she shares with two other girls:

I forgot how much I love being in big cities, and not have to drive. Though I guess we usually biked in Prescott too, but it was definitely not the norm. The roads are so flat here people bike everywhere, but the traffic is relentless! Even as a pedestrian. Watching people glide past makes me miss my bike, but I'm un peu terrified of the cars.

I'm pretty excited about my work at Farr Associates. It's all LEED-ND related, and I'm putting together a Sustainable Urbanism exhibit which will display somewhere downtown, possibly the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Yesterday I went to the beach with Haley and Kathy (one of Haley's roomies). We caught the sunset over Lake Michigan.

GUY ON RIGHT = AARON MARSHBURN

I am convinced. It was SO EERIE (no lake pun intended)

His mannerisms, his body type, his face, his carefreeness, compounded with his trip to Germany the next day = younger Aaron. I couldn't get over it.

p.s. even though the day was swelteringly humid, the water was COLD

Volleyballersxinfinity

Seriously, so many of them.

AARON

After swimming and watching the sun set, I was ready to PIG OUT. So us three girls went to what is apparently a favorite late night diner, Pick Me Up.

Cutest table decor. Each Sesame Street character was made of foods.

First entree: caramel apple pie, snickers cheesecake, key lime pie

second and third entrees: cheesy fries and kahlua pancakes

Best meal ever.

On my way home after work today, it started POURING. Since I was wearing lace (i.e. porous) flats, it was easier to walk home barefoot in the torrential downpour. Then I found out we were under a tornado watch! The weather was so crazy. After it passed, the sky looked epic: