Farsighted Fly Girl

I like to be daring. I enjoy new adventures. So when I saw people flying over Lake Michigan on huge trapezes, I got excited. How fun would it be to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, the lake breeze wafting over me?  Turns out, that wasn't exactly the experience I had. The Trapeze School of New York in Chicago  appeals to everyone's sense of fun. Lots of people watched as we took turns on the trapeze and asked about classes. Of course,watching and doing are two totally different things. Caught up in the thrill of actually flying on a trapeze, it's easy to overlook the details. The most significant detail that I wish I had known before the class, is that you need to be coordinated. Guess what? Coordination has never been my strong suit. My life is extremely focused on the mental sphere so my command of the physical is relatively weak. Even my trainer gets puzzled with my ability to mix up the simplest routines. So you can imagine my panic when I realized ...

The energy was electric around the ancient site of Chichen Itza. To mark the sacred ceremony,I was covered in white clothing like many of the almost 30,000 visitors who journeyed to Mexico to witness the first leg of the 2012  Mayan equinox. I had glimpsed photos and seen videos but I still didn't quite know what to expect. Would the Mayan magic shift the ground? Would the sky darken? I intended to find out. Since 2012 marks the beginning of a new cycle in the Mayan calendar, the anticipation at the spring equinox was especially intense. I learned about the complexity of the Mayan calendar system and contrary to pop culture claims, there has never been a prediction forecasting the end of the world in 2012. It's simply the end of the old aggressive, violent cycle and the beginning of a new, gentler one. This cycle is supposed to be filled with feminine energy, I saw priestesses leading chanting rituals at the site. December 21, 2012 is the official transition to ...

You know I love the blues. Besides being a part of my heritage, I really respond to the tangible emotions that run through the music, from joy and raunchiness, to melancholy and regret. You have not experienced the real Chicago until you have felt the embrace of live blues late at night, in a dark room filled with liquor fumes and laughter. You can catch Chicago blues on any night of the week in many neighborhoods but all blues clubs are not created equal. Beer selection and a convenient location don’t make a great blues club, the music and the atmosphere does.  I often get asked about the best Chicago blues clubs to visit so here are my  personal picks for the best spots to hear high quality blues, like sets by blues divas Deitra Farr, Nellie Travis and Peaches Staten, above. 1.   Rosa’s Lounge The warmth of this small neighborhood joint extends from the gregarious Italian-born owner Tony Mangiullo, to the musicians and regulars who greet visitors like long ...