5 days, 3 flights, 3 hotels, and 2 cities

WE ARE HOME!

I could not be more thrilled that at this moment there is not one single travel itinerary email in my inbox!

Last Tuesday was the beginning of a trip that I could have never dreamed would take place. Not because we went to Greece or Italy or some place fabulous like that. But because at the beginning of the optometry school journey, I never dreamed how blessed I would be.

"However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

1 Corinthians 2:9

Our first stop: UMSLCO. That would stand for University of Missouri at St. Louis College of Optometry. My interview there was Wednesday, January 6. I spent the morning going over financial aid information & information about the program. Then had lunch with current students and a tour of the school. Last was the interview, which we were told would be more of "a conversation." And it definitely was. I actually had a great time talking with my two interviewers. It's always fun to explain why I went from college graduation to dental office to Rosati's pizza to Notre Dame to teaching first grade. Wow. That makes my head spin just typing it. We hardly took any pictures while we were in St. Louis. The wind chill was -5 degrees so to be outside was just painful. And to stop and pose for a picture was just out of the question.

Downtown St. Louis during the snow. See the streets?

The most painful picture. The -5 degree wind made it nearly impossible to open your eyes. Not to mention the glare of the sun off of the snow.

The view from our gate at the St. Louis airport. Yes, we took off! And when we landed, it looked exactly the same.

On Thursday we flew to Chicago and barely made it out of St. Louis before flight cancellations began. As soon as we got to Chicago, there is only place to go. Giordano's. Delicious. We even called Pepper from the booth. You don't want to rub it in, but at the same time you feel like he should know you are eating Chicago pizza. That evening, Austin and I are sitting in the hotel room and I begin to have a "I have nothing to wear tomorrow" moment. Even though I had MORE than enough options for the interview, I felt like I was missing "the wow factor." So what does my sweet husband do? He finds the nearest Ann Taylor and we hop in a cab to avoid the slushy streets. Due to the weather, we were the only people in the store and I took full advantage of the employees. I ended up finding this adorable jacket to wear with my black pants. Really, it's adorable. And it was on sale! Thank goodness for Christmas money.

So the next morning, stylin' in my new jacket, it was off to ICO (Illinois College of Optometry). I had a great time at the school. The students were professional and likable. It was just an awesome experience to be there and to have the opportunity to interview there. This process still isn't over for me. Stay tuned to the blog for our decision on where we believe the Lord is leading us to go.

There's that pizza I was telling you about.

Michigan Avenue. Chicago.

Chicago River.

Lake Michigan.

With the interviews behind us, we spent Saturday at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The highlight of the day was the conversation I had with a beluga whale. I'm not kidding you. He came up out of the water, as if he was standing on his tail and started talking to us!! And what did I do? Started squealing like a school girl. If you are ever in Chicago, take the time to visit the Shedd Aquarium. Your kids will love it!

Shark tank video.

Dolphin show video.