My Trip to the Midwest

It was snowing when i woke up my first morning in Indiana. It was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. This is the tree i brought home from school on earth day in 3rd grade. It was a twig with a couple pine needles hanging off. Now it is so beautiful, i wish i could see it everyday.



I went up to Chicago with my dad and age. Our holiday tradition: Marshall Fields (i refuse to call it Macys) to see the windows, which were lame this year - basically just an advertisement for FAO Schwartz. We ate at the Walnut Room right next to the gorgeous tree but while we were waiting to eat we lounged around the furniture floor. I love the top floors of Marshall Fields because beauty and individuality of the original store can be found.



And I love the basement because it is where you can find all the sweets!

Another holiday tradition is decorating cookies on Christmas Eve with my mom. We always make a mess of the tablecloth...

and it is always worth it :)

I am very glad that i was able to spend the holiday with my family. It was trying and it always is but i was able to spend some quality time with my mom and dad that i really needed. Christmas night was spent playing an old board game and drinking wine with my cousins. They are always making me laugh. Their banter seems to refuel me.

It felt great to be able to give gifts of appreciation to the people i love and who support me. My mom was wonderful to give me the funds to cover taking the GRE and my dad changed my world by giving me a laptop (yep, i am sitting on my couch right now playing on the computer). The support they have for my choice to apply to graduate school is amazing. I really saw it while i was there and it means the world.

I also came back with a huge stack of books that are sitting on my coffee table waiting to be read. I am ready for the challenge! I finished one already (Tales of the Beedle Bard - thanks dad!) and am now working on the third book in the Twilight series (thanks mom!).

I am sad that the holiday season is over. The music and decorations seem to make everything a little easier. But it will be back again before we know it. And until then i might secretly listen to a Christmas CD every now and then.