#VegasStrong

After seeing my friends the night before, I took it easy on Leg Day Saturday.  I slept in; did my chores and went to the gym like I usually do.  Me and my brothers were celebrating my mom’s birthday that night and we decided to take her out to dinner.  We were having trouble figuring out where to go.  Luckily my mom had a suggestion and we were relieved.  Usually my mom has a terrible time deciding, that’s why we would have a ton of suggestions so she could choose from. 

She wanted to go to Legno on Central avenue, which is in her neighborhood in Portage Park.  I was surprised she knew about it, but apparently it’s nearby her church, and they give out vouchers to the attendees from time to time.  Lol.  I have to say, me and my brothers were very impressed!  It’s connected to a banquet hall next door, but the restaurant served us right away, despite it being a Saturday night.  Some restaurants in the north side of Chicago do not take reservations, but we lucked out with this one.  It was nice to catch up to my mom and my brothers.  We were obviously talking about Hurricane Maria and my dad’s family out there in Caguas.  Still no word on anyone, but people off of Facebook were checking in that they had spoken to family out there whenever they received word about their safety.  

Never in a million years did anyone expect what was to come next.  Sunday night, at a country music festival, Las Vegas encountered the worst domestic terrorism attack in United States history.  My mom cried to me the next day on the phone.  With the tube terrorist attack I had missed in London a few weeks earlier and now this, for the first time, she was worried about me.  “I know because you love to travel and go to concerts; I don’t want anything happening to any of my children,” she cried.  I was at a loss for words because I knew she wanted me to say something that would console her, but instead I said the opposite.  I told her that I was sorry for making her feel like this, but I can’t stop living.  I can’t help but feel this way.  At the end of the day, we are truly living during a dangerous time.  If anything, I want to experience more.  In the end, what would it matter anyways?  We all gotta go sometime…    

Gender revealing party

Today the worst US mass shooting took place in Las Vegas.  Everything, down to the way the shooter planned this massacre, was sinister. 

I woke up to the news this morning thinking I had overslept.  I normally watch the local news before The Today Show comes on, but when I turned on the tv I was confused.  Still barely awake from my alarm going off, I watched coverage of people running all over the place in Vegas.  It took me a minute to realize this was current news, and that it happened late last night.  I was stunned.

I immediately messaged my friend in Italy.  She is my best friend and we message each other constantly, but this was too horrific.  I can’t even imagine what goes on in the mind of a killer to hurt so many people.  My heart hurts.  Never in a million years did I imagine living in a world where this is a common thing in our own soil.  I mean it when I say this:  All I want out of life is for my friends and family to be safe!

Recapping the weekend before I left on my trip, a gender reveal party came out of nowhere.  As usual, this was unexpected for me, but I knew I had to show support for our friend who is pregnant.  Me and the girls stopped by Old Orchard mall to grab some last minute gifts and made our way to the party.  I have to admit, even though I had plans to do laundry and get my things together for my upcoming trip, it did help with my nerves.  There was so much commotion at the party that it kept my mind off things.  

In the end, our friend found out she is having a boy!  How exciting!  Looking back, it was nice to witness this moment for her.