April Activities

April was a good month for Jonny and me:

Still excited about his acceptance to the MBA program at the University of Chicago, Jonny has been looking for a summer internship in town that might involve elements of both law and business. In April he was accepted to a fellowship program at the Mayor’s Office in downtown Chicago. The fellowship program is made up of 20 graduate students who work on projects with top staff members. “Fellows” also tour city institutions like the police academy and O’Hare International Airport to get a perspective on city operations.

My good news is that I was accepted into the nurse practioner program at the University of Illinois (Chicago campus). I will be learning the practice of two interests of mine: Women’s health and Midwifery. I start this fall.

As part of his training for the Madison Marathon at the end of May, Jonny signed up to run a half marathon in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Reedsburg is about 10 minutes from the Wisconsin Dells. We enjoyed Midwestern scenery as we drove up from Chicago: a large Chrysler manufacturing plant (the longest building I’ve ever seen); a Lays Potato Chip plant which emitted the surprisingly appealing aroma of fresh potato chips; the attractive skyline of Madison; Wisconsin lakes and hills; and the abundant water parks and resorts of Wisconsin Dells with names like Noah’s Ark and Kalahari Desert.

We stopped in Madison, and loved everything about it. It seems like it’s a mix of Salt Lake (clean, capital city), Chicago (right off the water), and Park City (quaint, lots of shops, restaurants and theaters along the main street). Jonny’s friend from school had recommended his uncle’s upscale sports bar, the Brass Ring, where we played pool for an hour, and sat down to eat. While the food tasted great, it wasn’t exactly pre-half-marathon fare. Jonny and I shared a Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger and Nachos Grande. Jonny was still able to come in 16th out of 250 people or so, running it in 1:39:13.

As a finale to our month of April, my parents and sister, Tess, and Tess’ boyfriend, Sheldon, stopped in Chicago on their way to Salt Lake. Tess and Sheldon had just finished the school year in Virginia. While they were only able to stay for one night, Jonny and I enjoyed talking with them late into the evening and early the next morning over French toast. It was hard to say goodbye in the morning, but we look forward to seeing more of family and friends in June.