The Top of Chicago, Guys Drinking Beer, & a Pig's Face, or, The IPPY Awards Ceremony in Chic
On Tuesday, May 10th, the IPPY Awards went down in Chicago at the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). My husband, Wen, and I flew out on Mother's Day and spent three awesome nights enjoying beer, food, and models hired to hand out medals (see photo on right). We met a cool couple celebrating their anniversary on the beer tour (see below),
a sweet couple (who were also in town for the awards) at a trendy restaurant - Girl & The Goat (see below) where Wen actually ate pig face, and more fellow emerging writers happy to be recognized at the prestigious award ceremony.
I was worried about wearing heels while attending an open bar, but I ended up not falling the entire night...although, I did take the heels off before I made it back to our hotel room. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm so glad we decided to go for it and celebrate The Strangeness of Men.
This is how I felt when my feet landed on the ground back in Richmond: I'm grateful I could afford to fly to Chicago to receive my IPPY in person. Most of my life I would have been too self-conscious to even walk into the award ceremony let alone up to the stage for my medal, so I'm grateful for (ugh) age that's worn down my insecurities. I'm happy I have a husband that enjoys beer tours as much as I do and a mother healthy and nice enough to drive another state over to watch my children. And, I'm especially happy to be able to come home to my little family (and really comfortable bed). Don't be afraid to dream Big Dreams but don't forget to appreciate the Little Pieces along the way that make up your life.
