Our First Month in Evanston, Part 3: Starting to Get Social + Some Travel

Photography Show, Film at The Woman's Club

One of the reasons we timed our initial foray into life in Evanston for October and November was for the show of photographs from Mr. E's dad as a belated celebration of his life and work. Mr. E's sister did most of the logistical planning and arrangements, and Mr. E was able to help out more with supplies and set-up during the weekend. The premiere of the show was on Saturday, October 5, and quite a few of the S family members flew in for the occasion as well. Mr. E rented a car for a few days so that he could help with transportation. I spent the morning doing homework for my NYU classes and then grabbed a ride to the show with M & L. In the evening, a bunch of the S family gathered for dinner at a favorite restaurant in Oak Park. It was a really lovely event, and I'm pretty sure that Mr. E's mom was very pleased by the turnout and support she received from her colleagues, family, and friends.

On Tuesday, October 8, I attended the screening of a documentary film, Discovering Catharine, at The Woman's Club of Evanston and very much enjoyed the presentation. However, the opening remarks were a bit lengthy, and the whole event was rather tardy, so I opted not to stay for the post-film discussion. But I did grab a couple of bags of Smart Pop to take home!

Friday, October 11-Monday, October 14: Travel to Austin for Family Time

I flew to Austin on Friday to spend the weekend with J as a way for us to have some sister time together to celebrate and remember Mom on what would have been her 90th birthday (10/14/24). We went to the show MJ: The Musical on Saturday afternoon and then stayed at a stylish boutique hotel in a 2-bedroom 2-bathroom suite overnight so that we could have our own time and space. The weather cooled enough in the evening for us to sit out in the garden with some snacks and wine as we talked and reminisced about Mom. On Sunday morning, J went to her yoga class while I worked out in the room and did a short swim session before we met up for breakfast and coffee. Then we stopped for pedicures at the salon near her house before regrouping with the rest of the family.

Monday, October 14-Wednesday, October 16: Travel to NSPA Pre-Conference in Salt Lake City

I worked part of the day from J's house on Monday before heading to the airport for my late afternoon flight to SLC. On Tuesday, I went to the NSPA Pre-Conference session focusing on AI for scholarship providers, which was an interesting perspective on how AI is already being used by students and organizations and offered some considerations for future uses as well. During my walk from my hotel to the conference site, I passed by the Residence Inn where we had stayed with the kitties during our cross-country drive from Sac to Evanston just two weeks earlier!

Badger Games, Local Events, Remembering Loved Ones

Mr. E joined his friend M to watch the UW Badgers play Northwestern at the nearby stadium in Evanston on Saturday, October 19. So convenient rather than traveling up to Madison for the game! I was able to spend the day working on homework, meal prep, and Quicken updates. I also took a break to check out some of the local clothing stores. 

On Sunday, October 20, Mr. E and I strolled south to check out the Main/Dempster Street Fair, which was celebrating the re-opening of Main Street after some renovation work. This day was also the one year mark of my Mom's death, so we made sure to remember and celebrate her throughout the day as well.

Monday, October 21, was Calypso Day, so I pulled out her book and put it on top of the electric fireplace to honor and remember her. We miss all of our four-legged friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge, but we also cherish their memories and the time we were lucky enough to spend with them, even if it ended too soon.

Mr. E headed up to Madison on Saturday, October 26 with his friend M for an overnight visit since the Badger game was in the late afternoon. I was able to meet up for coffee in the late morning with my friend R, who lives in a northern part of Chicago. So great to catch up in person rather than just our monthly check-in via Zoom! I also visited the Block Art Museum on the Northwestern Campus when I had time for a break from my NYU and Spanish homework.

Wednesday, October 30-Friday, November 1: Travel to ATA Conference in Portland

I originally registered for this conference thinking I'd be on a nice short flight from Sac to PDX but decided it was still worth exploring even though the trip from ORD was a bit longer. I stayed at a hotel in the Pearl District and was able to walk or take the light rail to the Convention Center for the conference. I met up with a few other NYUSPS students, including some I'd met during last year's in-person J-term class in NYC. I'm still at such a beginning part of my encore career in the language professions, but it was helpful to get a sense of what may be available for future opportunities. And I was pleasantly surprised to find Kiva among the exhibitors, as I've been a fan of that organization for years and didn't realize that they have a whole volunteer program for translators and editors. I'm hoping to join their volunteer team to gain some experience as I continue with the MSTI program over the next couple of years.