Sisters weekend

Growing up, my mom always went away for a long weekend in the fall to spend time with her three sisters. "Sisters Weekend," it came to be known over the years.

No kids, no husbands, no itinerary. Just sisters, hanging out, watching movies, antiquing for treasures. To my shorter, younger self, the one who idolized her aunties (still do!) it sounded glorious.

My sisters and I were told by mom that someday, we'd do the same. We couldn't imagine it. It was difficult, when we were little, to spend time together in the same room without gouging one another's eyes out. We couldn't imagine voluntarily choosing to spend an entire weekend together, for fun.

Twenty-some years later, we still haven't actually done it. Who knows, maybe it's something we'll put together when (if?) we all have families. For now, we rely on scattered visits here and there, during the holiday season or whenever our schedules allow.

But this weekend, we did it. Two of us, anyway. Molly's in South Africa. Taking pictures like this, just to make me jealous:

Molly's the one with the wingspan.

So she was excused.

Since my days in Chicago are now very numbered, my sister Katie, who moved to Columbus, Ohio just last winter, decided it was time to take advantage of being relatively close, and drove in for the weekend. She arrived late Friday night, but not too late that we couldn't enjoy the tacos that kept me slaving away at the stove all evening.

Just kidding. They took about ten minutes.

But really, it was good time. The weather was crap-tastic Saturday, but we still managed to get out and do some shopping. We hit up the Salvation Army, which is like my thrift store mecca here in Chicago. It is a huge, giant, two-story mess. Like, there's shit everywhere. It's a little like digging through an overstuffed attic in the home of a hoarder. And some of the stuff is downright icky. But then there are the diamonds in the rough.

I think Katie walked out with about five new shirts, many of them brand spankin' new, and one smart and stylish navy blue three-button Ann Taylor blazer. Grand total? 17 bucks.

I left with a cute flowy cardigan, tags still attached, a pair of Gap jeans that fit like a glove, and some dark khaki chinos that are comfy, slouchy, and have me all ready for fall. I imagine myself snuggled up on a worn leather couch before a blazing wood stove in my new country apartment. No judgment, thank you. That is my fantasy.

After that, the drizzly rain got the better of us, and we grabbed a couple sandwiches from Red Hen Bread, which you might remember from my top ten list, and headed home to gorge ourselves and watch some of our favorite childhood movies. Parenthood and Father of the Bride made the cut. It was a Steve Martin kind of day.

Later on, I dragged Katie to my last meeting with my book club. We usually hold meetings at a restaurant of the book-choosers choice. This time, we headed over to one of the girl's apartments and ordered take-out. We drank some wine and enjoyed some fantastic Costa Rican food from a funky little restaurant called Irazu.

I also filled the ladies in on my plans to go back east. They already knew about the move, but wanted to hear some details. And when I admitted a tinge of disappointment about leaving the city that had been my dream for several years, one of the women pointed out that, hey, I'd tried it, hadn't I?

And it got me thinking. What if I hadn't? It makes me cringe to think of all the things I would have missed out on, despite the speedbumps I've hit along the way. So much of it has been wonderful. I started to cook, started a blog, found a delightful little apartment and took my time dressing it up. I finally made the time to start reading again, and once I did, I couldn't stop. I didn't make loads of friends, but I made a small handful that made a very lasting impression. I also came here with a newish boyfriend, and get to leave with so much more. Our relationship was still so very young when we made this move, but in the past year, he's grown to be my best friend, my cheerer-upper, my confidante, and a huge and important part of my support system.

Most importantly of all, though, is what I've learned about myself. I'm not saying I've got all the answers now, but I sure do feel closer to finding them. I'm not sure where I belong, but maybe I'm not such a city girl after all. And I may make a decent writer, but perhaps I'm not cut out for the whole journalism scene after all. It's not much, but it does take me a few steps closer to knowing who I am.

Okay, so I know I got a little off track there for a minute. Back to Sisters Weekend.

We topped off our Saturday back at my place with a final glass of wine and a giggly episode of South Park. Might sound boring to some people, but we felt like we really made the most of a crummy weather day.

And Sunday was even better...

Sisters. On the el.