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This past week has been pretty quiet for me and I think for the other girls as well. HI-Chicago is starting to feel like home and we are all slowly becoming masters of public transportation. There is even a little less panic in the mornings over the definition of ‘business casual.’

With the cold weather and below zero wind-chill, it has been difficult to want to venture out much. The hassle of bundling up and freezing at the bus stop is a little too daunting some days. We’ve been making our own fun, though. One night, we made brownies and had a movie marathon. Another night, we went to the grocery store, bought all the ingredients to make tacos with homemade guacamole, and had a delicious group dinner!

In addition, class has also started, so we have been kept busy by trips to the museums and homework assignments. We are all currently enrolled in “Arts and Religions of Indigenous Americas” and instead of having textbooks for class we utilize a variety of exhibits at the Art Institute (which is only about two blocks from HI) and the Field Museum. So far, we have learned about the pre-classic, classical, and post-classic peoples of Mexico. We were required to take a trip to the museum as homework, choose two art pieces from our assigned time period, and write up our interpretation and observations about the pieces. During the next class period, we each were given the opportunity to talk about our pieces and present them to the rest of the class.

Having a museum as your classroom and textbook is definitely an interesting experience. So far, I have really enjoyed it! Instead of simply reading about the different pieces of artwork, we actually get to see them firsthand. Plus, we are able to explore other portions of the museums, as our memberships allow us entrance into all of the exhibits. Personally, my favorite art piece so far has been the “Manxman Pianoforte” in the Impressionist Gallery. It was built in 1897 and was designed to look like a treasure chest from the time of Queen Elizabeth. However, I do also enjoy perusing the different galleries. The museum is such a great environment in which to learn and is definitely much more exciting than reading a textbook!