U of I flashback and Kickapoo State Park

I have been wanting to take Raj back to U of I @ Urbana-Champaign for quite some time now. It is where I went to college and where I pushed myself to be more outgoing and actually made friends. They were some of the best years of my life and I have the best memories associated with it. So naturally I wanted to share that experience with Raj. We finally got to go this past weekend and it was AMAZING! We decided to camp at Kickapoo State Park instead of staying at a hotel. We were planning on eating out so all we needed to pack was the tent and the bedding. So glad we decided to do this because on top of getting to reminisce at U of I, we got to stay at another great state park. We got there Friday and went running and then ate at Dos Reales...this amazing Mexican place that we always used to eat at when we were down there. Still soo good. The nacho cheese sauce...yummy!  Then Saturday morning we woke up and did some kayaking and then proceeded to the campus. I basically showed Raj all our old favorite spots...the Quad, 506, 1004, ISR, Grainger danger and the Union. We picked out where we would eat and ended up deciding on Dos Reales, Mia Za's (name changed and history of the name change/ownership is confusing but food still just as good), and Bombay Grill. For dessert we made 2 trips to Insomnia cookies. :) We took a nap in the Union like old times, did Frisbee on the Quad and went bowling in the Union at night. We also did some reading in Grainger. It was a perfect trip down memory lane. Sunday - today, we did a little mini hike in the park and then headed home. I highly recommend that all of the U of I alums make a trip back every few years cause it brings back such great memories. The campus has changed a lot...there are huge new buildings/bars but that will always happen with time. The pics from the weekend are here. Thank you to Raj for putting up with my U of I excitement. :) I-L-L. I-N-I!

Bike Maintenance 101

Raj and I have become big fans of biking over the past couple of years. We must give a shout out to the 506 crew for giving us an AMAZING gift. Probably the most used gift ever. We love exploring new places with it, it is a great mode of transportation, and I think I'm really cool cause I bike. :)

That being said....I know not the slightest thing about bike maintenance. Zero. So when Vishal Kamani invited me to join him on a bike maintenance class offered by an awesome organization called west town bikes I jumped at the chance. I had actually gotten our bikes fixed from this place before but now I got to learn all about my bike.

I went yesterday and it was AWESOME. I learned what the different bike parts are called...front derailer, back derailer, tire, tubing, the list goes on. I learned about the different kind of bikes - road, mountain, hybrid.I learned how to take out my tire and check out the tubing and check for leaks. I'm in no mean a professional but I will no longer be the girl that goes into a bike shop that goes....uh something is broken. As long as I remember. I've always wanted to be a mechanic or a wood shop person and this was an awesome exposure to that. As always some pictures below. What do you guys know about your bike? Take this class if you can!

Chicago Bucket List

As most of you know, Raj and I are leaving Chicago for California. It is bittersweet. I will always miss family and friends here...it has been my home and always will be. But it is a chance to get closer to more family and friends and it is California. Lots to look forward to! But in that leaving, we've created a bucket list of things we want to do before we leave. Who is in? We'll let you know when we are doing what and I am going to post and update when we do something on this post. The things in bold have been completed.

The list:
1) Kayak in the Chicago River - awesome Saturday morning w/ Karishma Desai :) Pictures below
2) Need to make a trip to U of I -Awesome, awesome, awesome...think I'm going to write a separate post about that one
3) Beach Volleyball - happened June 16th! awesome group...good times but so hot!
4) Shawnee National Forest - may happen with U of I - not happening - too far

5) Garfield Conservatory  - went with Raj...so pretty!!

6) Bike ride the bike trail to the Chicago Botanical Gardens on the North Branch Trail - Happened on 6/21 with raj - the full 30 miles! One fine day also happened w/ Sonz but we were silly and didn't realize the Botanical Gardens was across the street from where we thought we got lost.

7) Late night bike ride - Farah, Taham, Arpit, Shraddha, Bhavna, Sheel, Almae, Farah's family...great group and so fun! Had some mishaps with the bike and a little crowded but still worth it once.

8) Family picnic - the classic w/ the Sehgal's and Puri's - usually Bhav and Shilpa tag along

9) Movie night at Grant Park - We watched Hugo at Harold Washington Park...so fun!

10) Bike to Naperville - this is an ongoing joke but we'll see if I can make it happen