Two weeks ago we began our summer vacation, with a three day weekend in Evanston, IL before spending almost a week in Nashville with family. The Nashville part was a family reunion in many ways--seeing extended family we hardly ever see, and also dad and Jeremy (who came in from Ohio and Arizona respectively). Despite the rain in Nashville and middle Tennessee for much of that week, it was a great visit.
For the Evanston part, Pi Wen and I both had the opportunity to walk down memory lane. This is where Northwestern is and where she lived for almost a decade. We found our way to the Peet's--one of the few outside the Bay Area--several times, and also ate at Chicagoland only entities like the Lucky Platter and the Heartland Cafe. One highlight of that trip was a feast at Bob Chinn's Crab House, the legendary seafood restaurant in Wheeling.
In between the eating I ventured to Northwestern's campus several times. First day to south campus, the next day to north campus as well as the athletic facilities. I took pictures with my iPhone--lots and lots of pictures. I posted many but not all of them to Facebook as I went, and it was fun to see the likes and comments stream in.
The last time I was in Evanston was in 2008. Back then I had a cell phone that was just a phone. It was not a camera and could not get online. My smart phone indoctrination occurred the next spring, when I blasted my Facebook feed with pictures from strolls around Berkeley.
This time around I felt I "owed" it to my Facebook friends--many of whom are college friends--to show the campus and town as it exists now. It was part documentation, part performance, all nostalgia. Five years ago I kept thinking, "Evanston was great for college but I couldn't imagine living here again." Grumpy, all in all. This time it was, "Wow, the campus is beautiful! I'm so glad I went here!" I can't attribute all of that to the smart phone's prowess--some of that is age, better figuring out how and when to be grateful for your formative experiences. But it sure was nice to click the pictures happily as I walked around.
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Here is a sampling of the photos from that weekend in Evanston and Chicagoland. Hope you enjoy them.
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