Holiday: Day 9, 10, 11...I think

It's happened, I've lost track of the days, pure holiday bliss.

Sunday I attended my friend's third wedding reception, yes third.  When you are an international couple with family all over the place you need to celebrate everywhere!  I had a great day, met some new characters to add to my friends list and enjoyed some good grub.  Oh and I was able to get creative whilst assisting with the decorations of the hall.

The Monday after was total relax.  The day started with a short hike up to a rock that had an awesome view of where I was staying.  One of those peaceful, on-top-of-the-world, style locations.  After two friends departed for their home towns (both of whom I will be joining soon enough), I spent the majority of the afteroon chatting on the terrace with my friend.  Awesome.  A dinner at a Nepalese restaurant followed by frozen yoghurt from a self-service shop where you could put as many toppings as you wanted, which of course I did, ended the last full day in Golden, Colorado.  A really neat town.

Now, after repacking my suitcase I find myself feeling a bit, emotional I suppose, whilst at the gate for my plane to Chicago.  You see, the next stop, a week in Chicago, brings friends old and new together.  Harriet, my high school friend who died last October, visited this city in 2011 and spoke very highly of it and one of my closest friends I met in Pescara returned to the city this year. 

So, when another friend was joking about which of my American friends I like best, judging this by the length of time I'm spending in each city, there's one thing he didn't consider: Harriet.  Harriet loved Chicago but more than that, she loved New York and I'd never be on this adventure if it wasn't for her.  Although the idea for a big American adventure began on 28th August 2013 when I declared I wanted to be in New York for my 'Golden' birthday (28, on the 28th), the scale and length of the trip snowballed when Harriet died, it became more important.

The photo below Harriet posted to her Facebook stating it was her favourite coffee shop whilst in Chicago, having visited it a few times and always finding solo travellers to talk to.  So in all the excitement and things to do, I'm going to head there for a coffee, just because.  It may well be just another chain coffee shop to some, but to me, it's more than that, so much more.