Oh the places I go (or will go)...

Tonight I attended my little brother's high school Baccalaureate (religious/musical graduation ceremony). I fidgeted impatiently as I sat waiting for the ceremony to begin in the familiar auditorium that I had spent many long hours during my choir/musical days of high school. As the violinists began their first piece, I couldn't help but think about how much I'd rather be sitting in my sweatpants, enjoying a bowl of ice cream and watching the premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance". Instead I had been guilt-ed into sitting through a slew of boring, pretentious speeches given by overly enthusiastic high schoolers.

However, as the ceremony began some of the speeches actually began to penetrate through my boredom and I found myself really listening to some of the advice directed toward the senior class. All the talk of looking toward the future, thinking about the kind of person that you want to become and enjoying every moment of our fleeting lives started to hit home.

I started to think about how fortunate I really was to have such a great family who welcomed me back into their home and help support me to help me advance my career and save money for the future. Two things became clear: 1) It's important to constantly set goals for yourself and continually strive to achieve the goals, no matter how small. 2) I need to work on appreciating what I do have, even if it's not the most ideal situation.

So I came up with a list of the top 10 places that I'd like to visit before I turn 40 and why those places made the list:
1. San Diego because it's always 70 degrees and gorgeous!
2. Ireland... again (it still counts!)
3. Vegas - while I can still make bad decisions without getting in too much trouble
4. Cruise of the Mediterranean to Greece, Turkey, Italy & Egypt
5. Disney World/Land - there's no such thing as being too old for Disney
6. Memphis or Nashville - to appreciate a completely different culture a short distance away
7. Long Island or the Hamptons - hopefully to see Anna
8. Napa Valley with my boy = pure bliss :)
9. Tropical island such as the Bahamas
10. Washington DC - because I love history!

While those are some places that I aspire to visit, I have come to appreciate a few places here in Naperville/Chicago in the few weeks that I have been back:
1. Potbellys - three words: ice-cream cookie sandwiches
2. Target Greatland - I literally could spend $1,000 on clothes/accessories alone
3. Wendys for Frostys with mix-ins (imagine a McFlurry + frosty)
4. Cardinal Fitness - it's the place where I can go to get away & de-stress. Also I'd be 50 lbs heavier without it due to all the snacks in my parent's house!
5. Starbucks because I have a gift card & is my reward for getting up early.
6. Golden Nugget - only with Jill between the hours of 1-5am
7. Union Station - public transportation is ingenious
8. Bar Louie in Naperville - Wednesday night $5 bucks of beer with good friends, what more could I want?
9. Bolingbrook's outdoor mall
10. Egg Harbor cafe - great for a guilty-pleasure brunch or light lunch depending on your mood, but always so good!