I'm Not Throwing Away My Shot

We did it! We crossed the threshold to 2021, and 2020 is officially in the rear view mirror! For this post, I’m still living in 2018 (continuing to chip away at my back up of list write ups), and reminiscing about a time when we could all safely gather for LIVE THEATER PERFORMANCES!

I grew up with an appreciation of theater and musicals, a love shared by my parents. In my youth, I saw Phantom of the Opera, Miss Siagon, and Les Miserables (among others), and listened to soundtracks on repeat. I have zero singing skills, but that didn’t stop me from belting out big numbers when no one was home. When I moved to Chicago in my 20s, one of my favorite annual tradition was attending the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier each year with my dad.

B did not grow up attending theater in the same way that I did, but over the years he’s accompanied me to several shows and developed his own level of appreciation for the performance arts. In 2018, we took a weekend trip to Chicago to see Hamilton, and it was 100% worth the hype.

We saw Hamilton again in 2020 — pandemic style — streaming Lin Manuel Miranda’s performance via Disney+ on our movie theater screen in the basement. It was an uplifting way to spend a few hours in the doom-and-gloom of the year.

I miss attending live theater, and I hope we see its safe return later this year.

Hamilton in Chicago, 2018

Wisconsin Vintage

Fun fact: From seaside cliffs to desert soil, wine grapes can grow just about anywhere.

Popular Opinion: Wisconsin is not exactly known for its fine wine vintage.

But, that didn’t stop some friends and I from taking a little afternoon getaway to a local winery in the small town of Tripoli, WI on the heels of a yoga retreat at beautiful Palmquist Farm. We swung by the winery after a hike, ordered some of the local vintage and enjoyed the sunshine and friendship among the winery flower garden.

I think the name is Brigadoon Winery — but you know what? This happened 2.5 years ago, so I can’t be sure (procrastinator here — but I’m catching up, slowly but steadily). At one time, I had some photos from the day, but must have deleted them from my iPhone.

Will WI ever be a big name on the map of fine wines? Um….that’s a hard no. But, I’m still glad we went!

S(w)assy

How could I say 'no' when my friend LM (now LML) emailed in JAN of 2018 to see if B and I (and some other mutual MN friends) would be interested rocking out at the Rock the Garden music festival in JUNE?

LML is a pro at living her best life. She’s always got something fun and exciting in the works. I love her 'plan ahead' approach to scheduling in room for fun and experiences, and want to invite a little bit more of that spirit into my own way of moving through life. Yes, of course it’s important to live 'in the moment.’ I also hate feeling over-scheduled. However, sometimes I miss out on those moments by drifting by-and-by without committing to longer term plans.

Truth be told, music festivals (and anything with large, packed crowds) triggers some (a lot of) anxiety in my Introvert spirit. However,  we ended up having a blast, despite the swassy, sticky, humid high temps. A few alcoholic beverages in that evening, and I couldn't care less about my sweaty behind.

(In case it’s not obvious…I’m trying to catch up on cataloging my list achievements. This was from 2018. No summer concerts this year, obvi).