The descent into winter has been swift. Days alternate between brilliant blue skies and grey, moody. The only constant seems to be the steady fall of the mercury. Chicago seems to have different faces depending upon the seasons, the weather and its overall mood.

Nevertheless, it’s still exciting to see it all happen before our eyes. I feel myself becoming more resilient in the face of these falling temperatures: choosing to run outdoors, to walk the few miles to netball, to take walks to the lakeshore.

Life, study and work has been keeping me busy of late. But every now and again, I’ve been able to hightail it downtown with the American to gather footage for another creative project we’re working on. The photo above is from one of the vantage points I remember from our trip here a few years ago. To me, it feels as though a curtain has been drawn aside, and we can peek at the inner workings of the city.

The first snowfall of the season is scheduled for my birthday. I’m really as equally excited to see how beautiful Chicago looks under a fresh layer of snow as I am to see how everyone lives with it. Every day here is an experience and I make sure I pay attention to the cues from locals. They’re always the best source of knowledge!