Living in the present: What inspires you?

Have you ever thought about where inspiration comes from? Why is it that certain things, moments, and people make us feel something and give us a push to do things more differently? I have felt really inspired since I've been back in Chicago. I can't decide if its only because of the events of the 5 months in Israel or perhaps if the act itself of returning home left a deeper impact on me. Chicago feels different to me, home feels different, my life feels different. And its all good.

I dug up my art supplies two weeks after returning home and have started painting again. It is a very grounding feeling to be doing something that I love doing so much. Its been a few years since I've made time to really focus on my art and even though I worked on a painting that I had already started long ago, it was really rewarding to be making art as well as completing a project.

I've had a few projects on the agenda for this summer. A few weeks ago I went strawberry picking in a farm up in McHenry County. It was a beautiful sunny day and the strawberries were delicious and so fun to pick. I had decided that I was going to attempt making strawberry jam. Such an exciting adventure and after following a recipe (more or less) from the cookbook of Christine Ferber (thanks to the suggestion of my friend Adam!) I had a fantastic strawberry jam. Well, I figured I shouldn't stop there. So I found a recipe for Honey Wheat Bread, one that isn't baked in a bread machine and attempted my baking skills. I must say, after being away from the kitchen for 6 months and feeling a little out of practice, the bread was A-MAZING.

Other highlights of my return home have included catching up with dear friends (both old and new!), re-exploring my neighborhood, and starting a summer job at an ice cream and candy store. I had gotten it into my head back in Israel that I wanted to get a job soon after I returned home just to help me feel more grounded at home and slowly ease back into a regular working lifestyle. The opportunity at Windy City Sweets kind of fell into my lap and I have to say that I am really enjoying it. First of all, its really refreshing to work at a place that makes people so happy. And we all know that candy makes people happy. Second, there is something really "real" about having a job that pays a minimum wage. I feel like it makes me more humble. I haven't had too many shifts yet so maybe its too early to speak to this experience, but I feel like something I questioned a lot while I was away was this concept of middle or upper middle class life in America. I know that I have a lot of frustrations with some of the ways that people live in this country. Regardless, its a nice feeling to do something so customer service oriented. I think I'm really good at it and my shifts have been really fun so far. I've met lots of different kinds of people!

And I think that the most inspiring thing for me lately has been music. I've been listening to it a lot. All sorts. And at all points in the day/night. I have had a few moments during runs or walks out on the lake where my eyes have actually welled up in tears because of the deep meaning I have found in certain songs. Its amazing when we can encounter things that really touch our soul deeply. I hope to find many more songs that touch like that and experience many more moments of impact...

Meeting the lovely Lily Rose Butera. What a beauty!

Woodstock, IL where the movie "Groundhog's Day was filmed. This is the corner where Ned Ryerson appears (and no I am not naked in the picture, although that would be a funny story)