Sweet [ fill-in-the blank] Chicago // #MakingMajorLifeDecisions

This weekend I followed the roads down Lake Michigan that led to Chicago! Green Bay is not exactly the most exciting place, I mean, it has it's moments. But for the most part, there is a reason why Wisconsin is known so well for beer... you generally need to be drunk to enjoy most of what's here!

Okay, cool your jets fellow Wisconsinites! That last statement was definitely harsh and not entirely true. Wisconsin is gorgeous with a bounty of outdoor activities, but, you have to admit, it does lack severely in the big city offerings.

Where in Wisconsin would streets be shut down for a huge festival celebrating the LGTB community? I can't think of anywhere either. I happened to have an appointment in Boystown on Saturday where I was greeted with the rowdy crowds for Market Days. Unfortunately I missed out on Neon Trees performing Today! 

It's okay though, because I got an even more interesting show by some fabulous queens! These ladies seriously know how to radiate confidence and gather crowds! 

This is the one street in Chicago I know I know I will never be harassed by men.

Now, for the real reason I drove down to Chitown this Saturday?

I signed a lease! 

That appointment I mentioned above, was with my new real estate company! In a month I'll be packing my bags and moving down to the most perfect, little studio apartment! I am currently in progress of applying to Dev Bootcamp, an intensive 9-week course that pumps out some pretty solid web developers... and I hope to make myself one of them! 

Here's a sneak-peek into the furnishings and decor of my soon-to-be room. I've already named my new apartment "The Bullpen", because I clearly have no shame and I basically grew up in barns. Between Ikea, Target and the many junk piles of my parent's backyard, I have been able to go wild with turning my inner-city apartment into a little piece of Wisconsin. Yes, there's going to be a cowhide rug and bull-horns along with lots of natural, exposed wood.

All I think it needs is more cowbell! 

Cheers!

I Survived the Polar Vortex

Well. That happened. And thanks to weathermen sprucing up their lingo I can say I survived something that was much milder than it's name would suggest. I feel like a vortex should include time or space travel, but instead of hitchhiking across the galaxy, I just actually wore a hat for once. 

While we all still hate Southern California and their never-ending sunshine, the after-effects of the Antarctic temps were actually kind of cool. My town, along with a neighboring one, made the local news (with the Packers losing, they're out of their usual material) about the icebergs forming along the Lake Michigan shoreline. This whole post's photos flip-flop between Algoma and Kewauanee, both tiny towns that are passed through by the city-folks making their way from Chicago or Milwaukee up to Door County. 

On top of the ice formations, seeing the old-school charm of the town covered in snow is just as neat. In case you didn't look at that last photo carefully, that is an old bike that has a large basket in the back with a small plate reading "Smurfs ride free". My dreams will consist of nothing but this bike and it's decor from now on. And because I'm sure all of you guys will be running through the small town of Algoma, Wisconsin in the next few weeks, you can just pick this up for me. My birthday is the 31st, nod nod wink wink.