This year we celebrated Christmas at my sister’s house in Iowa City. She just had a baby about a week ago, so it was easier for all of us to travel to her house. It was quite the houseful: there were 9 adults, 2 dogs, and 1 baby. I slept very well thanks to earplugs and an air mattress in the basement.
I'm an aunt! Abigail Alison Meier arrived Thursday afternoon (12/17/09). She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and is a very healthy and adorable baby. I can't wait to meet her next week! Click here for pictures from the first couple days of her life.
Last week I was back in NYC to finish up the project that I am doing out there for work. It was fun to be in NYC during the holiday season! I was able to experience window shopping along 5th Avenue, outdoor ice skating, Christmas decorations, holiday shows, etc. I also had the opportunity to go on some behind the scenes tours and attend an antigravity yoga class taught by the guy who created it. 
This fall I have been spending my Tuesday nights at an aerial silks class. Not only have I had a blast pretending that I’m in the circus, but it has been a fantastic workout. Click here for some pictures from my last day of the level 1 class.
Yesterday we had a baby shower for my sister. It was an afternoon full of delicious food, fun games, and quality time with family and friends. Abigail is expected to arrive around December 19th!
Last week I was in New York City for work. It was my first time visiting the Big Apple! The work I was doing out there required long hours, and I was exhausted by the time I got back to Chicago. But, I did have a lot of fun at the beginning of the week with my friend Sara who recently moved there.
This morning I finished my first Chicago Urbanathlon. It's a 12 mile race with obstacles along the way like monkey bars, tires, marine hurdles, 563 stairs at Soldier Field, an 8 foot wall, and taxi cabs. The weather ended up being okay until the last mile when the rain came pouring down. 
Today my mom came with me to experience an antigravity yoga class. We had so much fun hanging out together! It's sad that the gym offering this class will be closing soon. Click here to watch a video clip about antigravity yoga.
This morning I went to this beautiful little church up in the mountains called Mount Soledad Presbyterian Church. Then, I walked around the mountaintop. I spent the afternoon relaxing and sorting through pictures. After dinner, I drove over to Mission Bay to watch the sunset. They have some fantastic sunsets in San Diego! 
I'm back in San Diego again for work! This was an unexpected bonus week. So, I have one more weekend to explore the area. I decided to drive to Escondido to see the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park. The Wild Animal Park is about 30 miles north of the San Diego Zoo.
I just signed a lease for an apartment in Chicago! Now I will be a full time city girl - I will work AND live in downtown Chicago. The apartment is in the River North neighborhood. Click the map to the left to see where I'm moving (River North is circled in red). Now my commute to the office will only be a 10-minute walk. Also, I am less than a mile from Navy Pier, the Loop (main downtown area), the library, my church, the Jewel grocery store, and the chocolate factory. 
Today was my final full day to explore San Diego. This morning I took the trolley to Lemon Grove and Little Italy. Then, I spent the rest of the day in La Jolla, a wealthy seaside resort community which occupies seven miles of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. I saw seals, surfers, sand, and a spectacular sunset.
Today's destination was SeaWorld. The dolphin show and the killer whale show were the highlights for me. I took over 700 pictures at SeaWorld! Since the animals move around so much, it takes some patience to get a good picture. I only posted the good ones :)
After my day at SeaWorld, I still had time left to explore the area. I drove over to Point Loma to see the lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument. The views were spectacular from this peninsula that rises 400 feet above sea level. I ended my day by watching a beautiful sunset from the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University. 
For those of you who are wondering...along with all the fun I am having, I am actually working hard too! The blog entries from my trip wouldn’t be complete without pictures of the places where I am spending the majority of time out here in San Diego: my office and my apartment. Our San Diego office recently moved to a fabulous new location that has a view of the ocean! So, while I am working hard during the day, I can look out my office window and see the ocean.
Today after work I took the San Diego Trolley to the downtown area. I walked along the water and then made my way to the Gaslamp Quarter. This historic heart of San Diego is considered the current hub of urban chic.
I started the day at Torrey Pines State Reserve hiking along the scenic trails. Then I drove up the coast along historic U.S. Route 101. I stopped at a couple seaside communities along the way to check out some of California's most remarkable beaches. I ended the day at Coronado and watched a spectacular sunset. 
After finishing my first week working in San Diego, I was ready to start exploring the area. I decided to begin my first weekend at the Word-Famous San Diego Zoo! The zoo is situated on 100 acres in the northwest corner of Balboa Park. It provides refuge for 4,000 rare and endangered animals. The San Diego Zoo grew out of exotic animal exhibitions abandoned after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. 
This month I had an unexpected opportunity to visit my brother in LA. I found out about a week ago that I was going on a 3-week business trip to San Diego...what a perfect opportunity for a free trip to visit my brother! Last night was the end of a fun filled weekend in LA to start off my 3-week stay in sunny California. We went to Hollywood the day before the Oscars, observed the crazy people at Venice Beach, drove along scenic Mulholland Drive, hiked to the top of Mount Hollywood, explored downtown LA, and toured the campus of USC. 