A Winter-Birthday On the Go

Spending the holidays in Chicago and experiencing a midwest winter was always our (crazy) plan. Jay and Reesie were supposed to make the trek home a few weeks earlier, but a winter snowstorm kept them in Philadelphia. Right where they belong with me. Which is why, with just three days ’til Christmas, we forewent the wrapping of last-minute presents and instead hit the road to Chicago.

Coming off of a 12-hours shift the night before combined with the sounds of the road was enough to lull me to sleep not more than two hours into the drive.

Jay was nice enough to let me sleep & only woke me up at midnight, somewhere in Ohio, to wish me a ‘happy birthday!’ I was so tempted to dig into the birthday cake from my (very) sweet friend, Hoyeon, but neither lighting candles in the back seat of the car nor eating cake past midnight seemed like a good idea.

At our last stop for gas, we switched seats and I drove the last stretch of the trip to Chicago. Jay proved to be a better co-pilot than I – he stayed up and rocked out to music (circa 2008). We arrived in Chicago sometime around 7AM and promptly fell into bed, where we spent the better half of my birthday.

Jay treated me to a really nice dinner at Fogo de Chao. We filled up on filet mignon, NY strip, bacon-wrapped chicken/ filet/ sausage – meat, meat and MORE MEAT.

As if I wasn’t already about to burst, the waitress brought over the best chocolate cake I’ve had in my life. Ever.

A Happy Birthday to Me, indeed!

P.S. Please forgive the poor quality images – the Birthday Girl may or may not have forgotten the camera…in Philadelphia.