Night Run

Dang, I've gotten behind on my blogging! What this post is about happened last Wednesday...eeesh! :S Don't worry...I'll get caught up! :)

Honestly, Wednesday wasn't too eventful. We were tired from the past two days of walking around museums (Adler, Field) so we took a "chill day" :) We had dinner at Brother and Sister Kelly's apartment (they're our internship coordinators), which was really nice. The Kelly's love us because we go out and explore Chicago so much :) The other interns are just like BLAH and Brother Kelly will try to be like "Ok! Everybody name one cool thing you did this week!" And Brock and I are the only ones who ever say anything!

After dinner we decided to go on a night run, which we'd never done before. I was kind of nervous to do so because we headed out at 9:00 (when it was pretty dark) and I wasn't so sure about being out after dark. I

As it turns out, my concerns were completely unfounded! Chicago is bumpin' after dark! And not just with drunks or stupid teenagers...we saw plenty of families out and about, moms pushing strollers, dads carrying kids on their shoulders, lovers strolling along, etc. We planned on running to Navy Pier (where we heard they were having a dance) but on the way there we saw all these people sitting on the steps leading up to Buckingham Fountain. When we asked wait they were waiting for they were like, "Fireworks, of course!" Fireworks? We thought quickly about what day it was...obscure national holiday? Nope! Chicago just puts on a fireworks show every Wednesday during the summer...just for fun! How cool is that?! So we stayed and watched :) It was actually a pretty legit fireworks show! It went on for about 10 minutes and had a big finale and everything! We were sitting by the cutest little family...a mom and dad with four kids, two of them being twin boys about 4 years old. The kids were just running around being silly in front of everybody...no inhibitions whatsoever. And they were so excited to see the fireworks! It was funny, about halfway through the show a man walked by selling glow sticks, and he walked by extra slow right in front of them. When the kids didn't whine or complain or even ask for them, we leaned over to the parents and were like "Wow! He was walking really slow and they didn't even fall for it!" and the mom kind of laughed and said, "Oh, we trained them beforehand! 'Kids...NO STICKS!'" So cute :)

We got to Navy Pier but alas...the dance had ended. Oh, well! It wasn't a total loss thought because the Budweiser Clydesdales were on display there! Talk about magnificent animals. They are so majestic-looking and just beautiful. And HUGE!! I want one really bad now :) It was funny, there was this one horse in particular that I "connected" with. I would talk to him, and his ears would prick up and he'd lean forward just as if he were listening. So, after forming this unseverable bond with him, I decided to go around to the other side of his cage to see what his name was. As it turns out, the Budweiser wagon only uses 8 horses, but they travel with 10 so they can switch them out in case some get sick/tired. "My" horse was one of the 2 extra ones, and therefore his name wasn't posted on a fancy plaque like the others! Then Brock goes, "Kristi...your horse is A Horse With No Name!" I actually laughed at that joke! :)

On our way home, we stopped by Buckingham Fountain again because it was all lit up in different colors....pretty! Then classical music started blaring out over some speakers and there was a water show! Just like at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but only smaller :) I actually almost liked this one better than the one at the Bellagio because the fountain is just stunning, it's all lit up, and you've got the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago as your backdrop. Plus, it's not overcrowded with tourists jockeying for the best view...it's a wide open space with just a bunch of families there hanging out together :)

Overall, it was about an 8 mile run. It felt really good--not just because we were high on endorphins, but because we got to see another side of Chicago, one we hadn't seen before. I would venture to guess that, out of all the major cities in the U.S., this is the most family-friendly one. Hands down. I feel like I crossed a threshold that night. You know how when you fall in love and you're like "Wow, this guy is awesome, I really like him" but then something happens and you're like "Okay, I love him"? It was like that. I'm officially in deep love with Chicago!