2 States, 48 Hours, 6 Friends

Sometimes the tour schedule results in being able to meet up with--if I'm lucky--a few friends each month.
  
And then, in the past two days, I've seen an unprecedented six friends.   

Six!  How did this happen?!  (And that's not even including Vikki from earlier in the week!)

It all started Thursday in Madison, Wisconsin, when I met up with Carson, a friend from the Killington Music Festival (random side-note: I'm actually still in a picture on the website...you can see it here).  I've been fortunate to catch up with quite a few KMF friends since attending the festival in 2007, but this was my first time seeing her since that summer.  Carson, who is currently getting her master's in piano at UW-Madison, had told us about State St., the place in town with all of the great little restaurants and stores.  After a wonderful breakfast, Charlie and I walked with Carson to her class and got the chance to see a little bit of the campus and downtown Madison.
 

 Some building on campus...this pretty much is the exact, aesthetic opposite of 99% of ASU.

Lake Mendota, right next to campus.

The capitol building, up the street.

A bus stop covered with knitting.

We drove to Barrington, Illinois, that afternoon for a (really exhilarating, sold-out) performance with the McHenry County Youth Orchestra.  Later that night, I rode to Chicago with my friends Jennifer and Valerie, who had both been in attendance, and proceeded to spend all of yesterday's day off hanging out in the Chicago area and catching up with some awesome friends.

First up: lunch with Emily in Evanston.  Emily is, strangely enough, another friend from Killington whom I had also not seen since 2007.  After a much-too-short-but-great lunch with her, I took some time to wander around the Northwestern University campus (where Emily is currently getting her master's in cello) and its immediate surroundings.  I was fortunate not only to have amazing weather (70°F, sunny, with a slight breeze!), but also to catch Evanston during Fall.

Looking out at Lake Michigan, right near campus.

The Chicago skyline from campus.

Painted rocks on the lake shore.

Seabury Chapel from across the pond (I'm sure the pond has some sort of official name, but don't know what it is).

Seabury up close.

Gum on a tree.

Does anyone want to buy this house for me?  Please?

View from the Noyes Street Station for the elevated train.

After taking in quite a bit of Evanston, I took the "L" (train) back down to Chicago to meet up with my hilarious friends Micah and Lauren for dinner.  An even more hilarious night with them, Valerie, and Jennifer soon followed.

The amazing view from Jennifer's studio downtown.

Extraordinary photo opportunity.

Dessert at Molly's Cupcakes.

Chocolate cupcake filled with peanut butter?  Yes, please.

Valerie digs into pumpkin spice.

With Valerie, Jennifer, Lauren, and Micah after Baby Wants Candy, a 1-hour improvised musical...no, you definitely read that correctly: improvised musical.  I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard...I was doubled over in my seat, with tears streaming down my face, stifling my laughter with my sweater.  Please check their website to see if they're touring near you, and if you're in Chicago, drop whatever you're doing to go.  I whole-heartedly agree with the website's tag-line: "Funniest.  Show.  Ever."

Breakfast at Xoco, created by chef Rick Bayless.

Freshly-made churros and Aztec hot chocolate with chili and spices.

While the tour thus far has by no means been the roughest, it's always nice to get a short break and meet up with friends, especially in such wonderful cities and with such wonderful weather. I may have written about this previously (I can't remember?), but touring so much kind of sucks you into this strange social vacuum where you're surrounded by great people (Barrage), but out of circumstance, not choice.  That is to say that although I'm friends with the people in this band, they're not friends in the same way that Jennifer, whom I've known since 3rd grade, is a friend.  So, meeting up with friends one has actively made fills this strange social void that is created when circumstance surrounds one with the same group of people 24-7.  It's oddly refreshing and fulfilling...kind of like when drinking water just won't do and you really need the snappy effervescence that only a Coca-Cola can seem to provide.

That being said, thank you Carson, Emily, Valerie, Micah, Lauren, and Jennifer for an amazing 48 hours!  I really appreciate it!