The Windiest Windy City

These past few weeks I have been so busy (with studying, obviously) that I haven't had a chance to update my blog on all the amazing places I visited during my Christmas break... So this is the first of many to come.

Chicago

Now for you to fully appreciate my devastatingly cold experience in Chicago, Illinois you have to try and imagine (because unless you've lived here you will never understand) the extent of the wind in Oklahoma. It is windy every day, every single day, if not all day then for at least half of the day, and those are the good days. I am aware that Chicago has always held the title of 'windy city' but what amazed me was the amount of Oklahomans who said to me 'oh its windy there' when I mentioned I was going over Christmas.. Have they been outside in the state they live in? It is windy here! Geographically Oklahoma is right smack bang in the middle of 'Tornado Alley' so it must be able to hold its own in the rank of windy cities. What I was unaware of, and grossly unprepared for, was the cold  freezing temperatures of the winds in Chicago! No amount of British or Oklahoma weather could have prepared me for the -13 degrees celsius temperatures with winds to match. In a bar one night the barman said to me 'you should be used to the cold!' and I simply laughed, he has no idea, Chicago at Christmas is a different level cold, I have never been that cold in my whole life. Coming back to Oklahoma after 2 weeks on the East Coast was like seeing the sun for first time, breathtaking. 

One brisk day we decided to do some shopping, I mean we'll be inside all day so it can't be that cold right? WRONG. Even walking the few short meters between shop doors was unbearable.. Trying to hail a cab that evening around 6pm I honestly was questioning how much longer I could handle the cold for, it was only the thought of the warm apartment awaiting me that kept me on that pavement.   

Aside from the possible frost bite and wind scratched cheeks there is also an upside to the cold... A white Christmas! On December 25th 2013 I had my first proper white Christmas. There was snow on the ground when we arrived in Chicago on the 19th and the sky had spat snow at us every now and again in the days that followed however on Christmas morning we woke up to a lovely white scene (not too thick) outside and when we took our after lunch stroll to find a coffee shop it began to snow.. And it was beautiful. The next day we left Chicago for the slightly milder Detroit, Michigan. 

All in all I think Chicago wins my vote for the windiest windy city. 

The Art of Souvenir Shopping

As promised my first post back in Oklahoma after my travels is about all the (pointless) souvenirs I bought for myself.. 

Now before I begin, the array of shot glasses is not the product of a drinking problem but is to add to a collection I started when I was 18 on my first unsupervised holiday abroad in Tenerife. 

From Texas:

Naturally the first thing I bought was the cowboy shaped shot glass which reads 'Everything is Bigger in Texas'.. Which believe it or not is true. The trucks are huge, the plates of food are huge, the cowboy hats, cowboy boots, pickles, roasted corn, all HUGE. A rumour which circulates Oklahoma is that even the parking spaces in Texas are drawn out larger than those in other states, however from talking to a few Texans I think that is just a rumour. 

Next was the jolly little Cowboy Santa tree decoration you can see perched up against the shot glasses. I saw this little guy on sale on 6th street in Austin for $5 and could not resist. I mean who could resist santa in cowboy boots and hat carrying a cactus? No one. 

Last but not least I just had to buy a black t-shirt (unfortunately not feature in the photo, but it does exist) with '6th Street' written on the front and 'Keep Austin Weird' across the back. 'Keep Austin Weird' is the capitals moto if you remember correctly from my post on Austin. 

From Chicago:  

The t-shirt with 'Chicago Bulls' written across it may be a slight give away and I may never be able to wear it around Oklahoma seen as I am obliged to support the Oklahoma Thunders basketball team at all times but nevertheless it was a must have. 

As far as shot glasses go I have 2 from Chicago, one from the city and one from the aquairum we visited it which was a secret santa gift from one of the girls I was travelling with. 

From Detroit:

Nothing. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my bank account) I did not find any souvenir shops.

From New York:

I managed to resit the need to buy everything in this beautiful city and settle on the cute diamante 'New York' t-shirt and two shot glasses, one from the top of the Empire State building and one from a ordinary souvenir shop (not so exciting).  

From New Mexico:

On the far right you will see a little colourful pot hand carved by a lovely native American Indian lady I met at her stall on the street of Santa Fe. There were so many big and small pots, animal shaped sculptures that it took me half an hour to decide on the one I did. My decision inevitably came down to what I could and couldn't transport home safely. 

Last but not least I bought 2 shot glasses, one from the beautiful quaint town of Santa Fe and the other from the Carlsbad Caverns located at the most southern point of New Mexico, next to the Mexican border.