Adventure is out there...on a Wednesday...on the River...

I've lived in Chicago for awhile, and I've done a number of awesome things (some one and done, while others on an annual or regular basis). But never had I been on the Chicago River (except by boat...once), and I definitely hadn't been on it at night...in a kayak. Nor had I been to Art on the Mart. 

So last Wednesday evening ended up being a 2 for 1 in terms of new things in Chicago! (I love it when that happens.)

We started at Ping Tom Memorial Park about an hour before sunset. We got our kayaks ready, and we received a quick review of how to paddle, turn, etc. And then we were off, up river first and then with the current on the way back. We had some wonderful skyline views, and some folks walking or eating near the river had good views of us. (haha)

When we arrived at Merchandise Mart, we maneuvered into a spot near the wall and out of the way of other boats and kayaks. The countdown to the show started at 5 minutes till the presentation was going to begin, and it was projected on the side of the building.

the countdown

We realized a little too late that you can access the audio from the website, so we mostly just carried on our own conversation and then watched in silence. I thought it was pretty cool; though, I have known some people to be far less impressed than I was. I guess to each his own.

part of this month's features are works from the Art Institute

Thank you REI. (And thank you, Mother Nature) It was a beautiful, perfect night!

Make Me Alive

There are very few things (aside from my faith and time in nature) that make me come alive like seeing quality theater, especially plays that are of the musical genre.

(Good thing I live in Chicago. 😂)

This past week I saw two shows - one was new to me (and part of the Broadway in Chicago subscription), and one was an old favorite (the lyrics and lines of which I have nearly 100% memorized from so many movie viewings). Both were spectacular.

"Come From Away" is based on the events directly following the 9/11 plane crashes, when the American air space was closed down, and planes between America and other countries had to be rerouted and landed. One such landing space was in Gander, Newfoundland. The play follows the townspeople and one set of passengers over the several days following September 11, and it's a testament to the human spirit. There are parts so poignant and other parts that make you belly laugh. The music was lively - my favorite song was "You'll Be a Newfoundlander." (Maybe it helps that I actually know someone from Newfoundland.) Just brilliant.

And then there's the classic: "The Music Man."

Oh, there's nothing halfway about the Iowa way to greet you, when we greet you, which we may not do at all...

This particular production was staged in a fresh way - the sets were done with some awesome perspective choices, and the choreography was spectacular - the dancers made good use of the whole stage. Professor Harold Hill was quite charming, Mrs. Paroo was quite Irish, and Winthrop had the stutter down perfectly. The play hit all the right notes for me, and it took every ounce of will power in my body not to sing and speak right along with the actors on the stage.

So, aside from the necessities of daily living, I do spend quite a bit on the theater (though, we always try to get the cheaper tickets, even if it means sitting up in the balcony). But it's worth it because it fills my cup and brings a smile to my face. And that helps me be ready to face another day.

Be Prepared...Or Be Early Enough to Fix It...

Prepared.

That's definitely a word to describe me. Yep. Ask any of my friends of coworkers. While I tend to also be on the impulsive side, I'm still prepared for whatever that impulsive event or whatever is. I'm a list-maker, a check-your-bags-three-times-er, a how-many-times-can-I-check-this-email-before-sending-it-er.

Rewind to this past Thursday night. Two of my friends and I were going to see "Six" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. I got to Navy Pier around 4pm (which was about 3 hours before I needed to be there), having gone there straight from work. (Let's face it, Lakeshore Drive is always backed up no matter what time of day, so it's nice to sometimes have an excuse to avoid it.) It was a gorgeous day, though a little on the cool side... I definitely took advantage of walking around outside for a bit:

I had to wait until 7pm for the Box Office to open; that's where I was supposed to pick up our tickets. When they finally opened the doors, they couldn't find tickets under my name...or my email address...or my physical address...

Hmm...

I swore I had purchased them...but it turns out I wasn't as prepared for the show as I thought. I must not have actually clicked through to my cart when I was trying to buy them back in April.

Considering the website had indicated the show was sold out for that night, I thought I was done for. I texted my friends that I had made a mistake and not actually purchased the tickets.

But then the woman told me she could get two seats together and a third one up a bit further - and all of the seats would be on the first level.

(YES!)

Lesson learned: Be prepared...or be early so you can fix anything you weren't prepared for.

What a great night - the show was phenomenal; I highly recommend it. (In fact, I talked my sister into going at the end of the month...and each of my friends is going again at another time too.)

There's nothing like summer in the city.

P.S. Made it out to Millennium Park last night for their summer movie series...another gorgeous night, another beautiful skyline...

Renewing our commitment, zeal, and hope for Catholic education

It was definitely a neat experience to have NCEA 2019 in our very own city of Chicago this past week. The Archdiocese shut down for two days, and all schools were required to send their staffs. I bumped into so many people - my own current faculty, teachers I used to work with at my previous school, classmates from Remick and ACE, friends & professors from Notre Dame, and other fellow teachers from across the city. Plus, many of my faculty got to meet my twin sister and thought they were seeing double. (We were turning heads right and left, for sure.)

LOVED seeing our high school ACE teacher - she was the best!

Remick 15 representation at NCEA

Always a good time when you get ACE XV friends together
(And the ACE HH was amazing!)

Over the two days, I ended up attending some good sessions, and I also had the opportunity to present about how to engage our Catholic school students in their weekly/monthly Masses. The presentation stemmed from my grad school work, and I was originally encouraged to apply by one of my grad school supervisors. In looking back, I am so grateful for the push - it was a terrific experience (even though I was extremely nervous in the weeks leading up to it), and I believe the people who came walked away with some practical ideas to put into place in their own communities. In fact, I received an email yesterday from one of the attendees, and it truly made my day -->

Here are a couple of pics from the session - the principal I work with and some of my friends snapped some photos -->

I believe this was before the technology cut out...

Pretty sure I was praying for grace and peace at this point!

As teachers and leaders in Catholic schools, we need to constantly seek opportunities, both formal and informal, to renew our commitment, zeal, and hope for our work with the young people in our care. So, in my humble opinion, what probably is the most fruitful thing that came from the conference is the boost of energy and ideas for everyone who attended NCEA - the timing of being right near the end of the school year could not have been better as we make the final stretch toward summer and we work to keep it meaningful, rigorous, and joyful. 

I am so proud and blessed to be working in Catholic education - I believe that just as it was a gift for me growing up, our Catholic schools are a gift to the students who come through our doors each and every day. For all of my fellow Catholic school educators - keep up the good work! And know you are in my prayers.

Catholic School City Life

When I tell people I'm from Florida (and lived in Arizona for a few years), they always look at me with a puzzled face (especially during the winter stretch) and ask, "So, why do you live in Chicago?"

I came because my sister came first - it was hard to be as far away from family as I had been in Phoenix, so I figured I would move to where Marisa was or move home to Florida. I pursued Chicago (where one of my friends helped me get my foot in the door for an interview for a fourth grade position at the school he worked in), and the rest, as they say, is history.

This would prove another Catholic school that formed me in so many ways, many of which I may never know or realize. During my time at ICSJ, I worked with many skilled and devoted colleagues. Our principals held us (and the students) to the highest standards of excellence, and it felt like we were always on the cutting edge of curriculum, scheduling, PD, etc.

I gained two more years of experience co-teaching fourth grade with three incredible women, and then I had the opportunity to take on the position of middle school religion teacher. I'm sure many people (including my mother) questioned my sanity for switching to middle school, but it was such a good decision, and I am forever grateful to my principal for recognizing my gifts and passion for teaching the faith and for giving me that chance.

As I taught the students, I learned more and more about the Catholic faith - the whats and the whys behind different teachings, rituals, and prayers. I deepened my appreciation for the saints, especially in helping students prepare for Confirmation, and I made time for Bible studies outside of school in order to learn more so as to better help my students. I asked so many questions (and am grateful for friends and priests who helped me find the answers), and I fell deeper in love with our faith. While many students still protested at the thought of going to Mass and didn't always see eye to eye with the Catholic teachings, I sincerely hope that I planted a few seeds over those five years teaching middle school.

It was also over my time at ICSJ that I was supported by my principal in my Remick program courses, and where I was given many opportunities for professional development and leadership experience. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my volleyball girls - we spent 5 years together on the court, and I will never forget the lessons I learned from them, and I can only hope they learned a few things (not just about volleyball but also being young women of faith) from me and my co-coaches.

Thank you, ICSJ, for seven years of learning and deepening my faith. Thank you for helping me strive for excellence in my teaching and in fostering my leadership skills among my peers.

(Please pray for this year's ICSJ 8th graders who will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation this weekend - I know they have been working hard, and I can't wait to celebrate with them!)

4th grade teaching team

never wear black pants when doing a Valentine's Day craft with cocoa powder...

more fourth grade fun - learning the regions (and having people send postcards from around the USA)

In 2017 I was blessed to sponsor this young lady for her Confirmation

We are all connected

A forwarded email from my mom: "Mitch Albom is coming to Chicago."

Exciting news, yes, but I left it alone for awhile. There were already too many things on my plate this week...

And then Facebook invited me to an event with Mitch Albom in Chicago.

I decided I couldn't ignore it anymore. My heart told me I should sign up.

I didn't know who of my friends was a Mitch Albom fan, so I did something slightly uncharacteristic - I bought a single ticket to the event, and I took myself. (Maybe I'm getting a tad more adventurous in my old age.)

I'm glad I bought that ticket. What a night...

Not only is Mitch Album an incredibly gifted storyteller on paper; he is a very engaging speaker. The audience was laughing, crying, and everything in between. This event was part of his book tour for his latest release, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven (sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven), yet he only spent a fraction of his time (about an hour and a half) actually talking about the book. He spent most of his time just telling us his story, sharing the people and the interactions (however seemingly small) that brought him to how he was standing in front of us that evening.

And we are all where we are right now due to the people and interactions we experienced in our own lives. For myself, a few easily come to mind (as I am sure some easily come to mind for you)...

*My high school was run by the Salesian priests and brothers. During my time there, they helped me develop my spirituality and relationship with God. In college, I ended up working at a Salesian summer camp, and during ACE I worked at a Salesian school. Their charism helped shape the teacher and leader I have become.

*At my parish growing up, an ACE teacher joined our choir because we sang the same "Our Father" as the Notre Dame Folk Choir. Through her (and ACE teachers at my high school), my sister and I learned about the ACE program, and we ended up applying and completing the program after college. The friends I met through the program are some of the greatest people I know, and they have taught me many things over the past 10 years. I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't do the ACE teaching program.

*In college, my sister and I took a class with a girl who was part of a morning running group. When she learned that we ran occasionally with our family, she invited us to join. The runners in that group were the ones who encouraged us to keep at the distance running and to run our first marathon, Disney. Since then I have run 6 other marathons (and my sister has run 7 other ones). How fortunate to have crossed paths with that college classmate during freshman year.

There are plenty of other examples - it's truly incredible, and I don't believe there is one string of cause and effect in one's life. (It's way too complicated for that!) But Mitch Albom's lesson to us was that we are all connected. Sometimes we affect another person's life, and we may not even realize it (or it happens way down the road/we never meet the person). It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I love Mitch Albom for a number of reasons, but I think my number one reason is because he teaches such profound (yet, at the same time, simple) lessons through his books and articles about human relationships, loving others, and living a meaningful life.

Do yourself a favor and pick up one of his books if you haven't read one before. And, if you have read some/all of them, go back and re-read. I guarantee there's another layer of lessons to be uncovered. His books are those which you simultaneously want to devour and read slowly so as to absorb every word.

Happy reading!

Bonus: a few photos --> 

When life hands you $5...find a good happy hour!

If you're keeping track, a lot happened since my last post: my twin sister's wedding, a family vacation, the start of a new job... You know, big (and good) things...

Here are just a few photos:

(Okay, so there were ten photos instead of "just a few" - oops.)

But this post isn't about all of that; though, it very well could be. I'll save that for another time. Instead, I thought I'd share something fun a friend and I have started doing since I got back from all that summer stuff...

I thought figuring out a 8-10 day road trip each summer was pretty brilliant on our part, but that only happens once a year. What if we could do something fun (yet strategic) on a weekly basis?

Enter rotating happy hour. Half off burgers on Monday? Awesome. Taco Tuesday? Wonderful. You get the idea - my friend and I have started meeting up once a week (a different day each week) to find some of the best happy hour deals on food and drinks in our neck of the woods.

Truth be told, we haven't been disappointed yet. Here's what we've tried so far:

Monday special: Dos Tacos (half off burgers & fries with the purchase of a beverage) - In case you were wondering, the burgers were delicious, and, perhaps surprisingly, margaritas do pair nicely with this food option.
Tuesday special: Rocks (3 for $6 tacos, 1/2 priced cocktails) - Though the tacos are small and limited to three choices (that you can mix and match or go with the same choice for all three), they were quite tasty.
Wednesday special: We had to skip Wednesday this week (and next), so the jury is still out on this one (obviously).
Thursday special: Diag Bar and Grill ($5 classic burgers & side, $5 cans and bottles) - it's hard to go wrong when you can get a hearty and yummy meal (and adult beverage) for less than $15 (including tip) in Chicago. #winning

And that's the extent of our HH adventures to date. But don't you worry, there is more to come - in a few months' time we will have found the best HH places from Lakeview to Downtown.

Sometimes, life requires you to mix it up a little. So, cheers to the adventure and fun to come!

And then there were tears

One of the seventh graders in the other advisory came up to me in the hallway this morning before the bell, stared up at me and said, "I'm going to miss you next year." Then, she walked in the room.

After advisory, a handful of my students stayed behind to show me a slideshow they had put together (of my smiles and shoes - go figure). The last slide featured a photo of the whole class from the Christmas show, and at the bottom it read "Good luck Miss Foyle."

Some sixth grade students came in and told me they had built me a church. (Really, it was a re-purposed Social Studies project, but it's the thought that counts.) On the roof of the church they had signed their names and written things like "we'll miss you next year" and "Jesus loves you."

At dismissal yesterday and again today a few parents confronted me. One looked at me with sad eyes and pleaded, "Tell me it's not true." She then went on to ask about my new position and said while she would be sad to see me go that she was happy for me. Another parent just kind of gave me the eye, and I just started spilling. She, too, was glad for me, but asked, "Couldn't you have waited two more years till my daughter graduates?"

To say I made an easy or right choice in leaving would be a lie - it's definitely not easy, and there is no "right" choice to be made. But I think the change is one that will be good for me, even if it's particularly difficult now as we are approaching the final days of school. I have found myself packing up seven years of my teaching career into boxes, deciding what comes with me and what stays. (That's been particularly difficult with all of my books, let me tell you!) So many memories...

But, you know, it isn't "goodbye." It's more like "see you later." It's not like last time where I picked up and moved across the country from Phoenix to Chicago - that was more like "goodbye." (And that, in all honesty, was one of the hardest things I've ever done.) I know I'll find my way back to cheer the kids on at a basketball game or go to family Mass or see the school play. I told the seventh graders that I would do my best to come to their Confirmation (and hopefully graduation) - and they all smiled and were excited about that. There's a fine balance, though - I know I can't hold on too tight. If I do, I risk not jumping in with both feet to my new community, and I can't bear the thought of not being present for them even though I don't even know them yet.

So, hand me the box of Kleenex and give me a shoulder to cry on. Help me take a step back and realize it will be all right. Help me be grateful, and help me have courage.

Change is natural and it's necessary. With change comes the opportunity for challenge and growth. And, to paraphrase Coach Taylor from "Friday Night Lights" (which I have been binge-watching these past few weeks), with clear eyes and a full heart, I can't lose.

Stop. Look. See. Love.

"You looked at me. You stopped to talk to me. Nobody hardly ever does that."

These words stopped us in our tracks.

Having come together with other young adults in the Archdiocese of Chicago to deliver food and water to people on the streets of Chicago and to engage in conversation with them, it was a cold night to be walking the downtown streets. We had just stopped for a few moments to talk to a woman named Sharon, a Chicago native as it turns out, and had made our way a bit further up Michigan Avenue when we met Lucy. The leader of our group, a senior at Loyola Chicago and a member of their Labre service group, seemed to recognize her from before (as he often served on the same route), but the rest of us had never met her. She was a bit standoffish at first, but then she really just wanted to talk.

And that's when she said it to us: "You looked at me. You stopped to talk to me. Nobody hardly ever does that."

At that moment, I looked around at the many people walking up and down the street, coming back from dinner or shopping in some of the high end retail stores. Others seemed to just be on their way home. I saw myself among them (minus the high end retail store shopping) - how many times do I pass by people on the street because I am in a hurry or because talking to them might be uncomfortable or for any other silly reason? It was disheartening and enlightening at the same time. We take human interaction for granted, but some of these people I met on Monday night hadn't had any real interaction all day.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has a name. Why is it so hard for us to recognize that?

So, when you're reading this, please take a moment to pray for Sharon, and Lucy, and Anthony, and Tyler, and Rich... And if you ever see them on Michigan Avenue, please make sure you take a moment to stop and say hello.

That used to be me...except...

Smiles abounded from the three current Chicago ACE teachers and their friend on Sunday afternoon at the Christkindlmarket.

"Thanks for getting us out of the house!"
"Man, I still have my grading left from Monday to do when I get back tonight..."
"This is so much fun. I love it!"

Such were the remarks that quickly followed our greeting. I was glad, too, to have an "excuse" to get out of my house. I'd been curled up with a book most of the day, having gone to the gym and grocery store earlier in the morning, so even though it was cold outside, it was refreshing.

Thankfully, it was less crowded on Sunday than it had been the past weekend. (I think the cloudy and cold weather had something to do with that...) We were able to wander around a bit, standing in lines here and there to browse the shops and purchase some ornaments. We even treated ourselves to hot chocolate in the classic "boot" (though, as you can see below, it's not a boot this year).

After leaving the market, I couldn't help but think, That used to be me...except...I might not have been convinced out of the house on a Sunday night. I used to worry about getting everything done and making sure I was ready for the week. I needed people to be the ones to get me out...and now, I find myself as one of those people. It's not because I care any less, but I think, instead, it's because I recognize the value of balance. I think sometimes it is possible to work too much - you have to be able to say no. You have to find some way to recharge.

And so I commend those ACE teachers for doing something I probably wouldn't have done myself but that is much needed, especially during the holidays. (Plus, I told them they can now say they've been to the Chicago Christkindlmarket - them + half of Chicago + tons of tourists...)


Now, here we are - only one more Monday to go until Christmas break - woo hoo! It's pretty hard for me to believe it, actually. Time sure flies...

To celebrate, here are a few highlights from today before I close:

One of my grade school teachers posted this on FB, and it brought a smile to my face :)

One of my Advent angels fulfilled a wish for dark chocolate...

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

I went out to help a friend with Christmas card stuff and found myself covered in snow - was NOT expecting that but was pleasantly surprised. I caught a snowflake or two on my tongue...

Tomorrow, December 12, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Catholics have so many ways and reasons to celebrate Mary during Advent - and so let us, once again, entrust ourselves and loved ones to our Mother: La virgen de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros!

a gift from one of my students last year who visited Mexico

Wait for it...

Once every so often you get lucky enough to secure tickets to a taping of "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!" here in Chicago. But even more amazing than getting tickets is getting tickets for a night that Paula Poundstone is on...

It was truly a great night - so many laughs! I am so grateful for the five of us who were able to attend together. I love having friends here in Chicago who are always up for an adventure!

Even when weeks are busy with the day to day and grad school, there is time for some fun. We are living proof of that.

Make sure you listen in to the show this week - you're in for a good one!