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I've been living at home for two weeks and have been enjoying many comforts I was without while in Chicago - free laundry, closet space, counter space, just space in general, a stocked fridge, a bathtub, television (yup, never had TV in Chicago), and ice cubes (no ice trays either). But the nicest part about being at home is having other people around. After living at home and in college dorms, it was weird coming home to an empty apartment and I never grew accustomed to it. So it's nice to be able to hear signs of life in the house - my dad whistling, catching bits of conversation as my mom walks around the house while she talks loudly on the phone, the eclectic selection of music blasting from my brother's room.

I'm also really appreciating the aesthetics of the house and the surrounding neighborhood. I'm realizing how much I missed all the green - the wooded backyard and all the grass. There's been quite a lot of rain this past week and so everything is very lush and damp. One day while sitting around the house I decided to get out my camera and take some shots around our yard.

Back of the house

Remnants of an old swing set


Tree house - The tree on which the structure was built is a few hundred years old and its branches were cut when it began to die just a few years ago. Obscuring the view of the tree is bamboo, which was planted by the previous owners who donated it to the Columbus Zoo when it used to house pandas. Now it just takes over the yard.


Rock bed - runs across the backyard and catches rain water from the drainpipes


Trees in the backyard

Walking the Lakefront trail

This has been a summer of walking. Indeed, outside of work, walking is how I spend the majority of my time. I walk to buy groceries, to various coffee shops, to the park, I walk aimlessly while talking on the phone. The proximity of my apartment to a huge stretch of walking/jogging/biking path perpetuates my walking habit - at least while the warm weather holds out. The 26-mile Lakefront Trail is public and maintained by the Chicago Park District and is conducive to joggers, bikers, roller-bladers, dog walkers, and anyone simply out for a stroll.


From my neighborhood the trail takes me past Diversey Harbor, a big public soccer field, and North Avenue Beach, where I have to dodge bikes and watch for stray volleyballs.





The beach is on the east side of Lake Shore Drive, so you have to cross a bridge over the 8+ lanes of traffic to get there. That bridge is my least favorite part of my run along this trail.