chicago + michigan photo diary

The East Coast may be my original home and San Diego my new home, but Chicago will always hold a special place in my heart. It was where I went to college and though my campus was just outside the city in Evanston, I spent tons of time downtown, eating, drinking, dancing, biking and playing. Every time I return, it’s like a homecoming.

With my friend’s wedding in Michigan over Labor Day, Eaman and I decided to make a trip out of it, starting in Chicago, where we saw his sister and some of my favorite friends and hit up all our favorite food spots. San Diego is a city in theory, but it’s really more of a suburb with urban flair. I do miss public transportation (a lot) and city streets and the busy rush (sometimes), so being in Chicago was like giving love to a side of me that I’ve been neglecting for the last few years. Chicago also happens to be one of the most beautiful big cities ever, so walking around, especially by the Lincoln Park Zoo and by Lake Michigan, was such a treat. (I would definitely live in Chicago if it weren’t so cold in the winters.)

We then headed up to Camp Newaygo, a summer camp one hour from Grand Rapids, where the main wedding festivities took place. Our friends planned the most perfect wedding: a lakeside ceremony, intimate reception and a full day of camp activities, like kayaking, archery, zip-lining and swimming on Sunday. The camp itself was beautiful—I can forgive the mosquitos—and staying in dorm bunk beds with a bunch of 20- and 30-somethings took me right back to college.

There was something really lovely about feeling isolated in nature, plus it was the first real relaxing vacation Eaman and I have taken together since our big trip, and I’m not going to lie, there’s a bit of post-vacation blues around these parts right now.

Let’s relive it together, shall we?

I’m absolutely obsessed with Potbelly’s, a sandwich chain that started in Chicago, and ate there 3 times in the 3 days we were in Chicago. For one of those visits, we went to the original location in Lincoln Park. (And I also bought a jar of their beloved peppers at the airport!)

I know San Diego is very green, but it’s not this kind of green, the non-succulent variety that I grew up with in New Jersey and also saw in the Midwest. Just recently, I had been thinking about how much I miss this view, so this trip came at a perfect time.

Sweet Mandy B’s, one of my favorite cupcake shops in the city. It has that old-fashioned, pastel-hued charm similar to Magnolia Bakery with equally sweet icing, and though many people hate on cupcakes these days, I’m still a huge fan.

Quick stop at Eataly (what used to be ESPN Zone when I lived there), an Italian gourmet grocery and restaurant, that’s so much more roomy than the NYC location.

Chicago was the first place I’ve tried a bike-share program, and I’m obsessed! We used the Divvy Bikes to get ourselves around the city and for a scenic detour by Lake Michigan. It’s $7 for the whole day, and you can keep the bike for 30-minute increments (or pay overtime fees to keep it longer). There are stations everywhere and bike paths aplenty, but I do think the helmet-less riding in a city is kind of dangerous.

Eaman’s sister took us to the very homestyle Mario’s Italian Lemonade, a.k.a. Italian ice a.k.a. water ice for my New Jersey friends. The fruit flavors are dotted with real fruit but were a bit too sour for me. We had ours at night, but these could be really refreshing on a hot day.

Meanwhile in Michigan…henna at the bride and groom’s house.

The couple had their friend officiate the ceremony, which consisted of the story of how they met and the couple’s own vows. It was short, sweet and meaningful.

I never went to summer camp, but I can imagine it was a lot like this past weekend.