Chi-Town Bound: The Scenic Route

Remember in my "Highly Anticipated End-of-the-Year Reflection Post" when I said that "I have grand plans for making 2012 the most awesome year ever."?  (Yes, actually quoting myself here.)

Well, it's official:  WE'RE MOVING TO CHICAGO!!!  

Er, Evanston, IL.  Close enough :)  

Equally exciting are the events leading up to this move, but before I get into all of that, let me start from the beginning.  

Last month, Patrick was accepted into Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Class of 2014.  I know what you're thinking... not just a great cereal brand, but also a great MBA program.  Kellogg is consistently ranked among the top 10 business schools in the nation... so well done, Patrick!

The Acceptance Letter

I'm already liking the purple color scheme and their motto:  THINK BRAVELY.  (Very important: always judge a business school by its color scheme and motto).

We've loved our time in DC - already 3 years! - and will be very reluctant to say goodbye to our friends here, but we're also ready for the change in scenery.  We've had our sights set on Chicago for awhile.  It's both familiar and new territory since we've been there on numerous occasions but have yet to live there long-term.

(There was, of course, that one time I moved there after graduating college and then left one month later to teach English in Korea...).

Chicago is also ideal because it's halfway between our hometowns in Nebraska and Ohio (and a bonus: less than 2 hours from Notre Dame campus).  And it has an amazing restaurant scene that I'm anxious to check out.

Before Patrick officially becomes a Wildcat (and me, an honorary Wildcat), we are going to become vagabonds... which means quitting our jobs and moving out of our apartment in the spring, storing our things in Ohio where my in-laws have graciously offered up their house, and wandering wherever our whims take us until landing in Chicago at the end of August just in time for classes to start.

So instead of moving directly from DC to Chicago, the idea is to take the most indirect way possible.  Thus, I have dubbed our little adventure/detour The Scenic Route.  We haven't pinned down an exact itinerary yet, but for now it may or may not include the following:

• A visit to South Korea in April for my brother's wedding and, more importantly, for some 칼국수 (a yummy soup with handmade noodles) and some Two Two Fried Chicken.
• A stop in China.  We're hoping to explore some of the smaller, less industrialized towns this time.
• A visit from my favorite Northern Irelander.
• A visit from my favorite Floridians.
• A visit to Europe.  (Could this be more vague?)  I'm thinking London, Italy, or Ireland.
• A 5-week long intensive Korean language program in Seoul.
• A cabin adventure with my side of the family in the Black Hills.
• A cabin adventure with Patrick's side of the family in Ohio.
• A Kellogg Kwest trip - not sure where yet but it will likely be international and will definitely involve bonding with fellow incoming Kellogg classmates and their spouses.
• More miscellaneous stops along the way... 

While Patrick will be hitting the books pretty hard once we land in Chicago, I'm not sure what I'll be doing.  I'm hoping the Scenic Route will give me some perspective and time to think about it.  For right now I'm embracing the wave of endless possibilities that 2012 has in store.

That said,

Go Wildcats!  And, while I'm at it, Bears... and Cubs... and White Sox... and Bulls... and Blackhawks?  ...Sure!  :)

oo,