Milwaukee/Chicago

My trip was amazing. Friday I took planes to Chicago and then Amtrak to Milwaukee, and left early enough that the snow didn't do anything to me. Others that left that day were pretty severely affected by the snow (delayed, cancelled, rerouted, etc.). In Chicago I also rode the L train and ate a cheddar chili cheese dog, Mmm!

Saturday I learned a lot at the MTNA conference and we even explored a mall a little bit. I had a giant piece of cheesy Wisconsin pizza with stuffed crust. There was a collegiate reception and a great concert that night.

Sunday Dr. V's duo team competed in the morning (half the reason I went at all) and they did great. Especially since one of them had been sick the night before! Yay for prayers and blessings! They didn't actually place but just making it to the national finals is pretty impressive! I feel like I'm related somehow since we study with the same teacher :-). Amy and I checked out of our hotel and moved to another one down the street (funny what college students will do to save money). We got lots of free stuff at the exhibits too. There was an excellent open house/reception at the Hal Leonard company where we had virgin cocktails, pasta, bratwurst, ice cream, and lots of Wisconsin cheese!

Monday I was privileged to watch part of the collegiate solo piano competition. Wow. I also got lots more free stuff. There was a banquet that evening, one I paid $90 to go to . . . hey, it was the other half of the reason I went on this trip. It was super great! Besides the yummy yummy food, cocktails (virgin of course again), and live accordion player, it was where Dr. Yang became an MTNA Fellow. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my school? I could dedicate a whole other blog post to the many other reasons why as well. One of my favorite parts of the night was when they made us take some of the extra cupcakes back to our hotel. Imagine 2 beautiful girls in beautiful dresses walking down the street in the dark in downtown Milwaukee, holding cupcakes :-) Makes me giggle every time!

Tuesday I got up early and took Amtrak back to Chicago. While walking from the Amtrak station to the subway, I guess I fit in so well that someone asked me for directions somewhere. That made me super happy too, especially since I actually could tell him what he wanted to know! It was a street I had just passed. I met my friend Heather and we had a wonderful day downtown going up the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), riding the L train, having the most divine Cajun food for lunch, and playing at Millennium Park. We went to play a concert with the WSU Wind Ensemble at the Chicago Symphony Center in the evening. I could tell other stories but I might wait until I get more pictures from Heather. Anyway, I'm glad that the two of us were able to have a great time and I stayed with her and her cousin that night.

Wednesday we got to take the subway at rush hour :P That was fun. Really, it was! I enjoy public transit. The L train to Midway wasn't as crowded. I got there, no problem, and had no problems getting home except that I had a headache all day and my flight in Denver was delayed one hour. But, hey, for a whole big trip like that I think I got off pretty good! I LOVE to travel :-)