And All That Jazz.

Well, we are back from our five-day makeshift spring break to Chicago.

Mark's brother, Nate, got married over the weekend so we decided to head east to get in on some of the action. This trip was a time of firsts for me. It was my first time being east of Utah (pathetic...I know, but just keep in mind that I've been to 10 countries in Europe alone). And it was also my first time meeting some of Mark's family. Overall, a great experience.

I thought there was a nice mix of family time and Mark & Lindsay time over the break. Mark and I had two days together where we went to Chicago and spent the day doing tourist things. We went to the top of the Sears Tower (a first for Mark as well), we ate Chicago style pizza (we overestimated how hungry we were and ended up handing out extra pizza slices to homeless people on the streets), we went to the art museum, walked Navy Pier and had a nice dinner at a jazz restaurant on the pier. Oh, and we rode the ferris wheel on Navy Pier! It was freezing, but well worth the view at the top.

Chicago is really a beautiful city. I have to admit, part of me came to the realization that I really wouldn't mind living there one day. And that is really saying something. My loyalty to the northwest is undeniable and it almost brings me to tears when I toy with the idea of moving away for good. Luckily, Mark also likes the northwest and there are abundant jobs for engineers. But if I had to choose areas of the country that I would move to, I think the Chicago area would certainly be on the list.

Weekend was good and it's a bit rough transitioning back into school. This weekend I'm flying to Portland to buy a wedding dress. WooHoo!