#23 - See a Concert at Ravinia

I can't believe I've never been to Ravinia before. 

For my Michigan friends, it's like the Chicago version of Pine Knob--except it's even easier to get to because here in Chicago, we have trains. It was just a (free) 30-minute Metra ride up to the park, letting us off right there.

Alicia and I went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play a variety of Tchaikovsky (my favorite composter) pieces. We opted for the pavilion, though lawn seats (where you can bring your own or rent/buy chairs, tables, food, and drink) are a favorite. I'm kinda glad we did the pavilion though because I realized that for music I really want to pay attention to, I want to be able to see the artists.

They started with some of the Nutcracker movements. Then, after intermission we were treated to a concerto with a soloist on violin and then, the big finale: The Overture of 1812--with cannons. 

For a chunk of the performance, we were trying to figure out how the cannons came into play because, as you can see in the pictures, there isn't quite space for full-ass cannons on the stage. But, they were there! Just to the side of the pavilion. And they were loud. It was something totally different than any of the other symphony or orchestra performances I've ever seen before. Super fun, got everyone laughing and energized.

I had a great time and can't wait to catch another summer show there.

#5 - Run 101 Miles

January: 2.5 miles; 1 run; average 2.5 miles

1. 1/5/24: 2.5 miles in Uptown (2.5 total)

February: 0.51 miles; 1 run; average 0.51 miles

2. 2/20/24: 0.51 miles in Uptown (3.01 total)

March: 28.58 miles; 13 runs; average 2.20 miles

3. 3/1/24: 0.77 miles in Uptown (3.78 total)

4. 3/4/24: 1.24 miles in Uptown (5.02 total)

5. 3/9/24: 1.63 miles in Edgewater (6.65 total)

6. 3/11/24: 1.98 miles in Uptown (8.63 total)

7. 3/13/24: 1.43 miles in Edgewater (10.06 total)

8. 3/16/24: 1.68 miles in Pittsfield Township (11.74 total)

9. 3/18/24: 2.14 miles in Barcelona (13.88 total)

10. 3/19/24: 3.28 miles in Barcelona (17.16 total)

11. 3/21/24: 2.21 miles in Barcelona (19.97 total)

12. 3/22/24: 3.04 miles in Barcelona (23.01 total)

13. 3/24/24: 2.34 miles in Barcelona (25.35 total)

14. 3/26/24: 3.80 miles in Barcelona (29.15 total)

15. 3/31/24: 2.44 miles in Pittsfield Township (31.59 total)

April: 21.82 miles; 8 runs; average 2.73 miles

16. 4/5/24: 1.36 miles in Edgewater (32.95 total)

17. 4/6/24: 3.13 miles in Edgewater (36.08 total)

18. 4/8/24: 1.67 miles in Edgewater (37.75 total)

19. 4/12/24: 3.31 miles in Edgewater (41.06 total)

20. 4/17/24: 3.71 miles in Uptown (44.77 total)

21. 4/19/24: 1.68 miles in Edgewater (46.45 total)

22. 4/21/24: 3.06 miles in Uptown (49.51 total)

23. 4/28/24: 3.90 miles in Uptown (53.41 total)

May: 24.49 miles; 7 runs; average 3.50 miles

24. 5/3/24: 1.69 miles in Edgewater (55.10 total)

25. 5/4/24: 4.59 miles in Uptown (59.69 total)

26. 5/8/24: 2.06 miles in Uptown (61.75 total)

27. 5/12/24: 5.07 miles in Uptown/Lakeview (66.82 total)

28. 5/18/24: 5.32 miles in Uptown/Edgewater/Rogers Park (72.14 total)

29. 5/26/24: 5.85 miles in Uptown (77.99 total)

30. 5/31/24: 1.60 miles in Edgewater (79.59 total)

June: 15.83 miles; 7 runs; average 2.26 miles

31. 6/2/24: 3.22 miles in Uptown (82.81 total)

32. 6/9/24: 0.74 miles in Edgewater (83.55 total)

33. 6/12/24: 1.78 miles in Edgewater (85.33 total)

34. 6/21/24: 2.24 miles in Pittsfield Township (87.57 total)

35. 6/22/24: 3.64 miles in Pittsfield Township (91.21 total)

36. 6/25/24: 1.35 miles in Edgewater (92.56 total)

37. 6/28/24: 2.86 miles in Uptown (95.42 total)

July: 5.92 miles; 3 runs; average 1.97 miles

38. 7/1/24: 1.25 miles during an Orange Theory (Andersonville) class (96.67 total)

39. 7/3/24: 2.10 miles in Edgewater (98.77 total)

40. 7/10/24: 2.57 miles in uptown (101.34 total)

#39 - Help Someone With Their List of Goals

Curry fries at Wilde

I didn't even think of it until after the fact, but I got to help Grace with a few of her goals while she was in Chicago! 

First, Grace took me on one (or more) of her birthday dates for the year! I already posted about Kasama, which was also a foodie adventure, but we also went to "Clued In" at Second City, then Wilde, and then "Hitch*Cocktails" at The Annoyance, after the cast of Clued In invited us with a discount code. I was really bummed that Grace got sick, and we couldn't do as much as we wanted to do, but honestly, that Friday was a really, really good day. It was so much fun to take in so many delightful Chicago experiences, while catching up with my dear friend.

26 - Have a New Culinary Experience

I'm so grateful for my friend Stephanie, just in general but also for a great meal and great night at AJI Omakase.

I was trying to fit in some list items when Grace was in town, and when I was trying to describe what I meant by "new culinary experience," I used omakase as an example: a style of eating that I hadn't tried before. And Steph was like, "You've never had omakase?" And then, just a couple weeks later, she took me to Aji, and I learned the unsurprising lesson that I like omakase.

I love a meal when I don't have to choose, get to try a ton of different things, and each bite is different yet no less delicious than the last. 

I didn't get many pics of the space itself, but it's small, and there were just seven of us for the seating.

We had some saki and then started in on 15 courses.

It was fun to watch the board change, so we knew what we were about to consume, and to have Executive Chef Kristian Cho describe each course, while Sushi Chef Arnold Lee crafted each piece in front of us. Cho also answered our questions and pointed out special things about the fish or preparations.

Thank you for a super lovely night, Real Friend™!

#52 - Try a New Physical Activity

I didn't even realize I was checking off a list item until I was on my way to Barre 3 to do a Brawl class until I was on my way to meet Melissa, who generously invited me to be her guest to try it out! 

Brawl is a 50-minute cardio kickboxing class... at a barre studio, so there are some bar elements. Our instructor Sarah led us through a tough workout. She was fully of energy and spot on with her cueing, though many were very new to me. 

While I got a great workout and certainly broke a sweat, group fitness just isn't my thing, really. There are a few exceptions. I love love love the "right" yoga class--meaning there has to be some self-reflection and connection and there absolutely should not be any hand weights or other exercise equipment. I enjoy barre classes. I can get down with pilates. I enjoyed the one boxing class I went to and hope to do more.

I think perhaps I only want to take classes when I feel like I couldn't do those things on my own. I mean, I can do yoga on my own, but the type of yoga classes I like include "spiritual" or reflective cues and connection. And I don't have a barre, pilates equipment, or boxing equipment. 

Otherwise, I want to workout on my own, at a time of my choosing, for as long as I see fit.

But I'm glad I went, as it's cool to try new things and learn about myself!

Thank you, Miss!

(Oh, and no pics because we were sweaty and not photo ready.)

#25 - Experience a New Culinary Destination

When Grace told me she was coming to town, one of the first things we put on our to-do list was a visit to Kasama. 

Kasama opened in July 2020 as a cafe and later added a tasting-menu dinner. It was added to Michelin's Bib Gourmand list in 2021. It already had recognition and lines when it was featured on the second season of The Bear, which made those lines even longer. Then, in 2023, it became the first Filipino restaurant to earn a Michelin star.

When we arrived on Friday morning and saw the length of the line, I was skeptical. It's such a hike to get to the Ukrainian Village neighborhood that I was resigned to waiting as long as it took, but damn. That line was long. 

We figured out we could order online for pick up, but even that had an 85-minute wait. Grace went ahead and ordered us a breakfast sandwich and a ham-and-cheese pastry. The order came up when we still had a bit of line to go. We started with the sandwich, which was egg, cheese, and longanisa sausage. It came in an unassuming silver wrapping but wowed in flavor. The pastry was just a long, small pastry topped with some creamy cheese and fancy ham... and was definitely the surprise of the day. Something about the combination of that specific ham, that specific cheese, and that flaky, crispy pastry was shockingly good. After that, we were ready for brunch!

I took us between an hour and a half and two hours to get in, where we found a very small space and figured out that we just ordered at the counter. There are only seven things on the menu (and we'd already had the sandwich) and then a host of pastries, but it was still tough to decide. Grace got the Filipino breakfast, and I went with the chicken adobo. We also shared lumpia, which came out first, super crispy and wonderfully flavorful. There was just enough spice and the sweet chili sauce was the perfect complement. 

Then came the entrees. I don't know what else to say than they were both perfectly balanced. The chicken adobo was packed with flavor. The garlic rice was just interesting enough to be a welcome part of the dish and not just a throwaway side. The pickled slaw gave that great hit of acid. And I got to try tocino, which was a sweet pork rib that was also great.

Grace also ordered a bunch of pastries to go, and I have to say, while I'm always skeptical truffle-flavored things are worth the price, the black truffle croissant is one of the best things I've ever eaten. So funky and creamy and flaky. The chocolate croissant was great too, but I'm not as much into sweets. 

Overall, no complaints, only delights. I'm not sure if I'd wait in a line that long again, but I would order ahead, go hungry, and then, if the line were shorter, have my snacks in line and eat there again. If you're in Chicago, I definitely recommend getting some brunchy take out and getting there early enough that they're not out of some of the best pastries!

48 - Go on a Silent Retreat

When I added this item to my list (and kept it on the list for many years), I imagined heading off into the woods somewhere for a few days, maybe even a week, and living in silence amongst others doing the same. Perhaps we'd wear flowy outfits, do some yoga, drink juice, just general spiritual retreat vibes.

Then, a couple weeks ago, I Googled "silent retreat in Chicago" and found the Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago, which is in Wicker Park and offers extremely affordable workshops, classes, and retreats. they had a 3-hour silent retreat on overcoming anxiety and worry that was only $30, so I jumped on that, thinking it would be a great way to test out how I might do in a longer (much more expensive) retreat and because I can always use extra support in managing my anxiety.

What surprised me most was how quickly the 3 hours flew by. We also did three meditations, and even those were so much "easier" than when I meditate alone or with the Headspace app. I had forgotten how different meditation feels when doing it in community.

What also surprised me is how much talking there was in the silent retreat. The idea for this retreat is that we, as participants, would stay silent, but we had a teacher, who "lectured" (for lack of a better word) and led us through guided meditations. We were on retreat in that we had retreated from our homes, from our voices, and from technology so that we could reflect on this topic.

It was a really great experience, and I can see myself becoming a regular attendee at Kadampa events in the future.