spring things + neighborhood walks

May 19, 2021 – Hi friends! I’m getting so excited because this spring weather keeps getting warmer and also I found this super cute floral jumpsuit on Amazon (I know, I’m sorry!! I couldn’t help myself). It makes me feel like a newly cocoon-less butterfly and I just can’t be mad about that.

Spring Floral Jumpsuit

Also, I’ve been tearing up a lot as I walk around this city. Before we go further, I should note that I tend to cry at a lot of things normal humans wouldn’t get emotional about. I’ve cried about seeing cute, fluffy dogs on Instagram, in excitement for the spice markets in Morocco, and every single time that I listen to “Unimaginable” from Hamilton. All the feels!

Anyway, so I’m walking around Chicago and I see all of these restaurants that are open indoors again and people milling about (decently masked) and I just thought – wow, how far we’ve come from just a year ago! I distinctly remember walking last spring when it was literally the only thing we could do outside/needed to do to stay sane. The streets felt empty, everything was shut down, and uncertainty hung in the air like those days when the fog hangs below the skyline and you feel like you’re in a cloud. I remember telling Shiv that I just wanted to hug our city and tell it that it was going to be OK.

And now, things are looking up for this place we call home! In no way am I taking credit, but I still feel like a proud mama. I’m happy to see Chicago on its feet, taking steps after that long pause. Spring is just different this year. I hope it always feels like this – new, hopeful, stuffed with possibility.

In case it doesn’t, here are some photos I’ve taken recently as I wander around to different corners of my neighborhood…