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HLS > Heaven

August 18, 2010 by Hillary 8 Comments

Edited to Add:

This post is extremely ‘late’. There are two words to explain why: lost luggage. I had my laptop in my carry on, but my power cord in my suitcase; my battery doesn’t last more than 45 minutes – sweet. After the longest day of travelling ever [car –> train –> ‘L’ –> 6 hr. flight –> shuttle –> car], I wasn’t about to wait for my luggage to possibly come in on the next delayed flight. I couldn’t hear out of my left ear, and my nose was gushing like Niagara Falls… little did I know, I had a full-on ear infection. Once home, the only way to reach the rest of the world was with my phone that, too, had a red battery level. The past 48 hours have been a huge test of my patience, as I’ve waited for the FedEx guy to knock on my door with my 42 lb. suitcase, that’s been keeping my Garrett’s caramel corn hostage + a few other semi-important items. Unloaded and recharged, I can finally get on with my life…

* * *

It felt like a dream, really… a dream I never wanted to end. My heart has been smiling non-stop the past four days. Travelling to Chicago for the Healthy Living Summit was one of the best things I’ve done for myself lately; I can’t think of a recent time when I’ve been happier. I was too busy having a blast being a tourist and making new foodie friends to post about my adventures in the wonderful windy humid city.

I’m currently sitting on my flight West and have a moment 6 hours to reflect. The excitement is over, but at least I have a great deal of photos, so I can cherish this experience forever. They are each worth 1,000 words.

Part I: Yum Yum

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After riding the ‘L’ from Midway Airport with my aunt and Courtney, we arrived in the city overlooking State Street.

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We drug our suitcases a few blocks in the humid air to our historic destination, the Congress Plaza Hotel on Michigan Avenue. Rumor has it, it’s haunted ; )

After freshening up a bit, my New York roommate and I joined a handful of other early-arrival bloggers heading to the Pilsen district for a free launch party for YumUniverse.

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We spotted a few special guests right away! : ) Please ignore the awful humidity glow going on.

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We chatted with other HLS attendees and sampled fair trade quinoa vodka + acai spirit. It was too humid in the crowded brick building for my appetite to want to try any of the raw/vegan treats. Though, I heard they were quite yummy.

Sticky with sweat, we set out in search of cooler air. Courtney + I both hadn’t eaten much in the way of dinner, so we strolled down the street with a group of bloggers to a casual outdoor cafe and shared a late-night pita + hummus plate while getting to know new friends from all around the country. I knew right then and there, the rest of the weekend would be epic!

* * *

Part II: A Taste of Chi Town

After a cool night’s rest, Courtney and I were up early on Friday to meet-up with the early-risers for breakfast. We walked right on down Michigan Avenue to The Corner Bakery for oats ‘n’ iced coffees.

Then some of the group braved a hot yoga class; little did they know, you could sweat just as much by walking the streets of Chicago. Courtney, Nienke, and I enjoyed playing tourists all morning.

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Buckingham Fountain.

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I spy Lake Michigan.

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California & New York meet Chicago.

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Lovin’ life.

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Up the street we strolled to the infamous Millennium Park.

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Crown Fountain.

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I was wishing I had my swim suit with me.

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It was the cool place to play.

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Our quest wouldn’t be complete without visiting “The Bean”.

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Chicago’s latest public art installation is “Eye”, a 30 foot tall eyeball.

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More Millennium

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The Magnificent Mile

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… and a massive mural.

After our bright, sweaty walk up and down Michigan Ave, Courtney, Nienke, and I met up a few other hungry bloggers. It was somehow difficult to decide on a place to grab a bite to eat for lunch, but about 14 blocks and 1 sticky hour later, our 7 glowing faces agreed on The Berghoff.

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Beers were ordered right away. I shared a few sips of Kath’s ale.

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For lunch, six out of seven of us ordered the same item: roasted sweet potato panini with fig confit, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, arugula, and caramelized cipolline onion + a huge pile of thick, homemade potato chips. We couldn’t resist!

* * *

Part III: In Good Spirits

We made time for fro yo before finding our way back to The Congress for the summit check-in and cocktail party pampering. After one sketchy cab ride, my posse and I made it to LaSalle Power Co. for the summit kick-off!

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Open Sky put on a great party for the 200+ attendees. I had loads of fun chit-chatting with foodies, runners, and writers from all over the country.

Cocktail Party 4

A handful travelled from Canada, like Callie. Photo courtesy of Callie.

Cocktail Party 5 

Megan, Allie & I kept things colorful with our matching coral. [Check out my nametag – oops!]

Photo courtesy of Allie.

Cocktail Party 2

Cocktail Party 3

Caitlin is so fun!

Cocktail Party 1

Miss Emily & I. Photos courtesy of event sponsor.

As the cocktail party came to a close, Kath and I shared a Manhattan for our final spirit. Then a couple girls and I flagged down a taxi in the rain and returned to our room on the 13th floor [notice the date]. All was swell until my throat suddenly became sore…

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Congress Plaza Hotel, HLS, Lasalle Power Co., Millennium Park, The Berghoff, The Corner Bakery, YumUniverse

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“Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis.” - Dr. “Anxiety is a symptom, not a diagnosis.” - Dr. George Papanicolaou

It’s no secret that I suffer from chronic anxiety and panic attacks. Or at least I don’t intend it to be. Because while there can be a lot of shame and embarrassment around both of these, I know I’m not alone in my experiences. While I’ve leaned toward the more anxious side most of life, my bothersome anxiety has steadily increased since my mid-twenties - some periods being worse than others. 

It’s not a complete surprise that my mental health has taken a dip during my first full gloomy Seattle winter — in the height of a pandemic. 

Here are some ways I have been nurturing my body & mind as I work with a team of practitioners to work on understanding the **root causes** of my panic, and to live with more ease. 

» no coffee (not even decaf)

» meditating regularly - I’m using @insighttimer 

» gentle movement

» weekly therapy sessions

» attempting cold showers (this is hard for me!): if you’re interested, you can research how this impacts the nervous system

» working with a naturopathic doctor to focus on gut + hormone health

» trying a new Rx - a decision that took years of consideration

» lastly, opening myself up to vulnerable conversations/sharing my story and my experiences in efforts to reduce any shame and connect with others 

I am not my anxiety. 

[image: a photo I snapped to send to my mom of my naturally red palm holding my Rx on the first day I took it]
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Leavenworth, WA • Where To Eat🍴 I was expect Leavenworth, WA • Where To Eat🍴

I was expecting all things beer, brats and pretzels in Leavenworth (not really my jam) 🍺🥨🧀, and while there’s plenty of it, I was delighted to find plenty of delicious eats for my “foodie” taste. 

We went to all of these 3 places more than once during our quick stay - highly recommend! 

☕️ @argonautespressobar: Located at one end of Front Street, this adorable coffee bar has delicious espresso drinks, breakfast items, and the best view! 

🥐 @tumwaterbakery: Incredible pastries, avocado toast on artisanal bread that’s a feast for your eyes... and I’m eager to go back and try their wood-fired pizza! 

🍜 @yodelinbroth: Literally some of the best food I’ve had (ever!), and that’s saying a lot. I had the Yodelin soup with housemade wild PNW halibut bone coconut curry broth, udon noodles, heaps of veggies and wild salmon - it was nourishing to my core as we ate it outside in 30 degree weather. I even bought some of the broth to recreate this meal at home, yum! 

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We had snow much fun exploring the picturesque Bavarian town of Leavenworth, WA for a much-needed mid-week getaway to the mountains. 🏔

We stayed in a cozy little cabin @logecamps right on the Wenatchee River (one day I’ll be back to stay at the stunning @phleavenworth), played in Enchantment Park, took a drive to Lake Wenatchee, and discovered some of the best food downtown (I’m saving my food recs for another post).

Nestled between the snow-capped Cascade Mountains with the river running through town, it’s quite magical in the middle of winter. ❄️ I’m already dreaming of heading back for some summer adventures!
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