wisconsin part 3 that is really chicago part 1 and utah part unknown

SO as I said before, I'm stuck in Chicago. The city where I just so happen to have 3 very good friends, one of whom I've never actually met. So I call Erika- no answer. I call Ting- he's gone photographing people poking each other with foils (don't be fooled, I've actually always wanted to learn to fence), but Ting gives me Travis' phone number (who is the friend I've never actually met). And so I make a very presumptuous first phone call, in which I ask if I can stay with him and Erika that night. Being the most wonderful friend I'd never met, he says "of course! we're at dinner right now but we will come right over and pick you up!"

Now, for a little back story. Erika and I had been talking on the phone on Sunday for the first time in months, and discussing how awful it was that we had no idea when we would see each other again. Now, stuck in a random airport because of a random job interview, I would be staying at her house! I wish I could say I saved someone's life the week before and that's why I deserved such fantastic karma, but I really did nothing except miss Errka all the times. So now I'm sitting in the Chicago airport with a terribly lumpy bowl of oatmeal from Starbucks, grinning like a mad person that I get to see her and FINALLY meet Travis.

They pick me up and we head back to their (totes adorbs) apartment. My new flight was at 8 or 730 in the morning or something like that, so we had to leave their apartment around 530am (or maybe 430? It's a little foggy. It was then, too). But that does not mean we slept. No, no it does not. Hawaii friends + not seeing each other for 3 years + fortuitous meeting in Chicago = no time for sleeping evar. So we talked and giggled and made poor Travis sleep on his massage table and probably kept everyone awake and did terrible impersonations and facebooked hawaii (it can be done) and I just loved every single minute of it.

And then, far too soon, it was time again to fly away. The two of them got up way earlier than anyone ever should just so I wouldn't have to take the train to the airport. Then I get in to SLC and meet Collette- wait, this is the best non-hawaii day evar. I get to see both of these girls in the same 24 hour period? Serious karma- if you need your life saved, I'm probably the one to have around, because I have done nothing to warrant this kind of luck. It was almost just like this:

And then, Collette and I do so many of our favorite things: eat thai food, go watch the hunger games, analyze the hunger games, eat MENCHIE'S FROZEN YOGURT THANK YOU MENCHIE'S. And  it was the greatest weekend of all time.

Thank you Wisconsin, Illinois and Utah for conspiring to create this really really really great couple of days.

P.S. I got the job in Wisconsin. But I also got a job in France. One guess as to which one I accepted.