Tag: fireworks

Photo Time!

Photo Time!

I want to upload some photographs from this summer to give you guys more of a visual of what I was up to. These photos capture just several of the awesome days I had these past few months.

Spring Awakening 2013– I didn’t take many photos so this isn’t the best representation of Spring Awakening, but the concert was great. Seeing Krewella play was the only reason I went, and I am so happy that I got the opportunity.

I saw fireworks twice this summer, and this was one of the days. Many people know that while the weather is nice outside during the summer, Navy Pier has fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night. I went to see them one of the nights, and though it was raining and slightly chilly outside, they were beautiful. The whole time they were going (which was only about 15 minutes), Jimmy Buffett‘s music was playing and several times I caught the fireworks shooting to the beat of the songs.


These three photos were taken at Brookfield Zoo where my boyfriend took me to celebrate my 21st birthday. I had only been there once when I was much younger and I had been talking about going to the zoo for weeks so it was a wonderful surprise. We walked through the entire zoo and saw nearly everything, from all the cats, the bears, monkeys, reptiles, wolves, and my favorite- dolphins! Next time I go, I hope to see the dolphin show.

This last photo I’m posting was taking during my last fishing trip in Utica. It may just be a photo of a little fire going, but this fire took over an hour to get going at about four in the morning by four people who hadn’t slept yet. Needless to say, it was an interesting fishing trip even if it wasn’t really a successful one.

Recent Chitown Adventures: Part 1

Recent Chitown Adventures: Part 1

My recent adventures have kept me from posting a blog last week, but I am happy to say that I have plenty to write about to cover not one, but two posts this week. Yay!

Last week, my mom treated me to Cirque du Soleil: Dralion, and any dream I have recently created for myself about joining the circus died. Why? Because I have zero chance and ability of doing what they were doing. Here’s a recap of my favorite parts:

1. During the first act, they kept bringing up this one specific guy from the audience up onto the stage. My mom and I were convinced that he was just an onlooker like us because he acted exactly like an audience member would- confused as to why he kept getting pulled on stage, nervously giggling at everything he was made to do, and trying to run away every chance he got.

Alas, he turned out to be a part of the show, but nevertheless, he was hilarious. He was forced to wear a red clown nose, almost all his possessions (including the shirt off his back) got stolen, and in general, they just would not leave this guy alone. What was the best part of his appearances? His reactions to everything. I was crying into my mother’s shoulder of laughter when he imitated the little clown who bothered him the most.

2. Also in the first act, there were acrobats doing flips and tricks on trampolines. The cool part of their number was that they were also using tall walls as props; they would jump high on the trampoline up onto the walls, flip off of them, and then drop back down a far distance. I’ve only done those tricks in one place: my dreams.

3. My final favorite piece was the duet performed using two thick and long ribbons descending from the ceiling. It’s hard to even begin to describe how beautiful and graceful this act was, so I’ll just say that it was amazing. Neither of the performers was attached to any safety devices, so the only things they held onto were the ribbons and each other. My heart wouldn’t stop beating rapidly throughout the whole performance, both out of fear of them falling and awe of their actual moves. Flawless!!

My other favorite event of the week was Fourth of July. From start to finish, it was one of the best-spent Independence Days I’ve ever had. My best friend was performing a dance in Washington Park that day for the International Festival of Life, so I got to take the Green Line for the first time to get there. Afterwards, my friends and I all went down to Navy Pier to catch the fireworks, followed by a lovely ride on the Ferris Wheel as the night’s closer.

Between the fireworks, flips and flaming hot weather, I’d say last week was one of the best I’ve had this summer so far.

A Week Past Summer Solstice

A Week Past Summer Solstice

July is rapidly approaching, which means that half of my Loyola summer is officially over. Two months ago, I was stressing over my finals, and in two months, I’ll be back in the classroom, brainstorming ways that I can convince my professors to give me As (I know- a good start is by doing the homework and studying).

So far, this summer has been filled with many hot and eventful days. And there are many more to come. Several of my summer’s highlights to date are:

  1. Went to my first wedding with a best friend of mine, and took the Amtrak train for the first time to get there. I did not think that I would be hearing country music at a wedding, but I was on cloud nine when I started to hear song after song of pure country bliss. I downloaded “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” by Luke Bryan the moment I got back from that trip.
  2. Went to one of Chicago’s Full Moon Jams. This firedance is held once a month during the full moon during the summer months in Chicago right off of Lake Shore Drive. Right after the sun set, drum playing began along with a group of people dancing with fire (using hula hoops, batons, fans) in a ring. My favorite part of it? When these two guys started blowing fire out of their mouths like dragons.
  3. Going to Lincoln Park Zoo and seeing this awesome juggler performing near the Polar Bears (or technically, where the polar bear SHOULD HAVE been but WASN’T- I will not cry…). There was a small crowd gather around him as he did awesome tricks that I’d never seen before. One trick was that he stacked several objects (I think it was a flat wooden stick, two balls and a wine glass), one on top of the other, and balanced them using his mouth while juggling two balls in each of his hands. If you don’t understand this…well, I didn’t understand how he did it. Hopefully he’ll perform there again!

And now, here are several rapidly approaching events that I’m looking forward to:

  1. Going to see the performance of Cirque du Soleil- Dralion for my birthday this weekend with my mom. I’ve seen Cirque du Soleil once before and they did not disappoint, so here’s to round two of acrobatic awesomeness!
  2. Seeing the Fourth of July Navy Pier fireworks downtown this year. I saw them several times before, and it was breathtaking. The view of them bursting over the lake is definitely not one to miss- even if it takes four hours in traffic to get downtown to see them.

Along with these events, I plan on having some smaller adventures as well, like: finally seeing Buckingham Fountain, going to Six Flags Great America and hopefully going to the Shedd Aquarium. Maybe July is my month to do all of them!