On Summer 2017

There is something about the end of one season and start of another that makes me mushy (in true Melanie fashion). A Chicago summer is bookended by two holiday weekends, Memorial Day and Labor Day -- the latter of which was this weekend. It has been a lovely few days of serotinal bliss, and today (Labor Day!), I can't help but reflect on the past couple of months.

I wrote this last year, but it's worth repeating: "It takes time to build a life, and after three years in the city, I can finally call it my home. I've established deep, meaningful relationships -- friends that I can be myself with. My career has become stable and steady, and I find joy in the day-to-day responsibilities. But most of all, I am learning to trust God with each and every area of my life, rather than letting my circumstances control me. I still struggle -- as we all do -- but I've gained more big-picture perspective than ever before."

I still feel those same feelings, but even more so now after another year in the city. This summer has been a delight, and I stand amazed at these memories and adventures shared with my dear friends, loving family and how-the-heck-did-I-get-so-lucky boyfriend.

Memorial Day rosé and a sunset. Many burrito bowls. My quick trip to STL. Grilling. Hinsdale's 4th of July parade. Happy closings. Packed seminars. My birthday. A wedding in Texas. Driving around with my windows down. Fun dinners out. (Of note: Monteverde, Blue Door, Eduardo's.) Celebrating my parents' 25th anniversary. Sailing on LDW. 

I'm thankful!

Tyler & Kristen

I'll never forget the way my relationship with Tyler and Kristen began. It was just a few days after So You Want to Buy a Condo in February. I looked down at my phone to see an email pop up from Tyler. The subject line read: "Yes, I would like to buy a condo." I cracked up.

Our search began shortly thereafter. We saw new construction overlooking the 606, older condos in Wicker Park, fixer-uppers and more. Tyler and Kristen were waiting for "the one," and "the one" most definitely had to have bathroom storage, per Kristen's request. The three of us were in the thick of the spring market, so it was wildly competitive. I don't recall how many offers we actually wrote, but there were several, including one that was sight unseen (scary!).

One weekend, they went to an open house in Ukranian Village, only to uncover the coolest, most unique condo on the block. We wrote a very strong offer, and to their delight, it was accepted.

Through it all, Tyler and Kristen were remarkably kind. They treated me like a friend, but also trusted me as an advisor -- the best kind of balance. Oh, and they brought a box of donuts to the inspection. (Tyler has a definitive ranking of the best donuts in Chicago, and Firecakes tops the list.)

Tyler and Kristen closed on their home in April. It's a spectacular place: smart built-ins, dark wood floors, a renovated kitchen and enough space for their weekly small group meetings (they are very inviting people, hence Gatherings). Truly, it's a home to remember.

Congratulations to this sweet couple.

On Growing Up

Yesterday was my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Truthfully, I wasn't thinking much about the sentiment of the day. I was exhausted from a seminar and a showing, and the last thing I wanted to do was sit in an hour of traffic to get home. But yesterday wasn't about me, and I decided I would put myself aside and celebrate with my parents.

My mom had asked Courtney to take family photos at our house, and by 6 o'clock, we were all standing in the golden light in our blue and white outfits. Courtney told us how to pose, and as we smiled, I started to feel a little bit melancholy. My little brothers, Sam (21) and Jack (16), looked incredibly grown-up and handsome. They both towered over me, and to see them next to each other was something surreal.

My mom and dad took a few photos alone, too. They held hands and Courtney snapped away. These are two of the most beautiful people I know -- inside and out. In my dad's card to my mom, he wrote that he has adored being her best friend and brother-in-Christ. This is gloriously true. My parents spend as much time together as they can, building one another up in the gospel. It is the best example of marriage I've ever seen.

We went to Mon Ami Gabi some time later for oysters, steak-frites, very crisp white wine and a seafood tower. At the table, my parents recollected stories: their elopement, when the kids were born, the night I fell down the stairs and more. As we laughed and remembered, my heart swelled in my chest, more and more until I felt like I was on the verge of tears. Everyone is older now -- my parents, my brothers, me. Our family of five will never be a young family of five again. I'll never be in high school again, coming home to drop my backpack on the floor and watch Gilmore Girls. We'll never fight over silly kid things again, like the rules of trading Halloween candy or who gets to hold my mom's hand in the car.

Things are different, and time has passed. New characters and plot lines have entered our lives, and though I am joyous over certain changes, the idea of growing up makes me feel wistful for my childhood. And what's more, I am fearful of the future. I know that life on Earth is very temporary, and I've also watched friends lose their parents over the past few years -- one of them, just two days ago. I cannot stop thinking about what I would do if that happened to us anytime soon.

After dinner, my brothers walked ahead to the car and I stood outside the restaurant to say goodbye to my parents. That was when the waterworks came. All at once, I was sobbing. "I'm not upset," I blubbered through my tears. "I don't know why I'm crying." But I was, and I couldn't stop. The very last thing I wanted to do was get back in my car, alone, and drive back to the city. I wanted to go home to my Hinsdale house, put on my favorite sweatshirt (a 20+-year-old crewneck with my baby face on it) and stay there forever.

I wish I could remember exactly what my dad said at that moment. It was something along the lines of this: "Melanie, when you feel this way, think about eternal life. Think about how we're going to be together forever, in Heaven, no matter what happens here."

My mom walked me to my car, hugged me tightly, and we made a plan to do something later in the week. I sat in the car for a few extra minutes, trying to calm down and redirect my thoughts. An hour and a half later, I was back at my place, peacefully tucked in bed.

This is what I know: Jesus Christ lives in me, He lives in my mom, He lives in my dad, He lives in Sam, He lives in Jack. We've endured our share of trials, but we have also been gifted a beautiful life together. Change will continue to come. We'll keep growing up. But no matter what, I do know that we are united in one unchanging spirit. That is pretty much the best truth there is.

Adam & Ange

On a blustery winter day, I drove to Andersonville for my first meeting with Adam and Ange. I had been introduced to Ange by a past client. At that time, she was a professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana (my old stomping grounds), getting ready to move to Chicago to teach at Northwestern. Adam, her doting fiancé, is a musician and teacher. When we met, he was in grad school at U of I. The two made a lovely match.

We spent a few Saturdays house-hunting, but it didn't take long for Adam and Ange to find their home. They chose an elegant vintage condo in a Margate Park high rise. This is one of the most underrated neighborhoods in all of the city. It is a historic area, bound by Sheridan Road to the west and Lake Michigan to the east, and nestled in between Foster Avenue and Lawrence Avenue. The streets are tree-lined and breezy, and the homes (single families, co-op's, converted condos) are masterfully designed, many of them built in the 1920s during Chicago's Jazz Age.

Adam and Ange's place offers the perfect balance of old and new, from the original parquet floors to the completely rehabbed kitchen. They closed on it in April, and just a few weeks later, they got married (!!!). Now, Adam and Ange are all moved in, and I couldn't be happier for them. Congratulations, you two, on a beautiful home and marriage.

Kyle

Kyle was a friend of a friend. I was introduced to him this spring, and we began the condo search shortly thereafter. At our first showing, I remember thinking to myself: This is the chillest guy I've ever met. It was true and remained true throughout the entire process. Kyle has a calming presence about him, confident and unshaken. The moment he walked into this particular condo in Wicker Park, he was ready to make an offer. And so we did.

The place is a quintessential bachelor pad: dark wood accents, custom built-ins, exposed ductwork and a grill-friendly balcony. He found it in February and closed in April. To celebrate, I gave him a bottle of Grey Goose (he's a vodka guy) and Crate & Barrel glassware. I can just picture his home bar now -- surely it's fully stocked with the good stuff.

Congratulations, Kyle.

Dan

I remember my first conversation with Dan. Almost one year ago, he called me on a humid August evening. I sat on the floor of my parents' living room, listening to him describe his dream Lakeview condo.

Together, we hustled through a very competitive market until we found the perfect place. It was bright, open and just a few blocks from Wrigley Field. We went under contract, but then, the seller changed his mind and our deal fell apart. Dan continued to check out other places, but always, he had this particular one in mind.

Real estate has a funny way of working out the way it's meant to work out. As it happened, the seller for that Wrigleyville condo came back to us many months later -- four months, to be precise. Dan was under contract by the end of January, and he closed this past March.

The space is pretty spectacular, and I'm overjoyed that everything came together for him. To celebrate, I gave him craft beer glasses and a box of Molly's Cupcakes -- two of Dan's favorite things.

Congratulations, Dan. You waited so long for your home, but you navigated through with unwavering kindness. Two thumbs up for this condo.

24

A birthday is a funny thing. When I was young, I lived for July 8th. I remember the year I had a cooking party at home in Hinsdale with my girlfriends -- I think I turned 10. Or my 11th birthday at the local pool. Then there was the year I turned 13 and knew about a "surprise" birthday party my parents had planned. I cried for hours leading up to that. As I got older, my birthday became less of a joy-filled event and more of a day to worry over. There was so much expectation and pressure, and almost always, I found that reality never quite lived up to the plans in my mind. I loved and still love celebrating other people's birthdays, but for these selfish reasons, my own made me feel melancholy.

I had mixed feelings about turning 24 this year, and by mixed, I mean I bawled my eyes out on the elliptical machine last Tuesday. I texted my best friend: "I'm having emotional problems." She told me I was not having emotional problems, but rather, I was just upset about my approaching birthday. "Bdays are rough," she wrote. Truer words have never been typed.

Now that the weekend has come and gone, I have nothing but praise. By Friday night, I was on the up and up, allowing God to lead me through the weekend. Here are the highlights:

-- Chipotle burrito bowls & rosé (complete with candles in a pint of Halo Top) with my small group

-- Sweet, thoughtful gifts (My lender got me Chipotle gift cards and my business coach gave me a Drybar gift card -- do they know me or do they know me?)

-- A solo morning walk through the farmer's market on Division Street

-- Brunch with my parents/bff's at Pierrot Gourmet

-- Phone calls and FaceTimes and texts

-- Cards! (I love cards!)

-- Afternoon margaritas with one of my dearest friends

-- The fanciest dinner I've ever had (Andrew took me to Boka in Lincoln Park)

-- Wine at the very posh Pump Room

-- Eating a Sprinkles red velvet cupcake in bed

It was one of the best birthdays on record. I am reminded of such wonderful, loving people in my life, and I'm thinking that's what a birthday is all about.