On Friday, Jon and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. To celebrate, he took me to see Wicked on Saturday night. It was absolutely unbelievable...and reminded me how important it is to get out and do things outside of what our comfort zone has become every once in awhile.
Over the summer, we decided to spend a Sunday in the city with Alivia. We envisioned a train ride downtown...Alivia's little face glued to the window watching everything outside the window. We'd walk up and down Michigan Ave, Alivia amazed by the people, the sounds, the buildings. Then we'd play in Millennium Park. Alivia and Jon would kick the soccer ball around and I'd lay in the grass. Instead of all these wonderful things, we got just the opposite. The train was crowded and Alivia was cranky because she hadn't gotten her nap. When we got to the city, she wanted nothing more then to be out of her stroller. She whined and cried all day. When she finally did fall asleep, Jon and I were so overwhelmed and exhausted, we were ready to go home. We had only been in the city for an hour. It was hot and miserable. We vowed to never do it again.
After that trip, I had nothing good to say about the city. I was pissed at it...hated its inconvenience...and decided at that moment, to add it to the deciding factors on whether or not to move to California.
But last night...Jon and I drove downtown together. Alivia was in my parent's safe keeping, and I was excited. We parked...and walked around. The city was beautiful. Christmas lights were everywhere...people were bundled up in their winter coats, scarves and hats. It was the PERFECT setting for our evening. Last night I remembered all I love about Chicago. And, while I vow to never take Alivia down there without a REALLY good nap and a lot of snacks...I can't wait to bring her down there again so she can see everything I saw last night.
Don't worry Melissa...I promise I haven't forgotten about California :)
