Life. Love. And all things Chicago.

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

Thursday, October 2nd, marked that one year remains until the IOC’s Host City decision for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Copenhagen.  And you know what that means for us Chicagoans…

That’s right… Parrrr-tay!

The party at Rockit Bar and Grill had hors d’ouerves, cocktails and Olympic spirit in spades!  And I had the opportunity to speak with Olympic and Paralympic peeps, Anjali Forber-Pratt, Matt Grevers, and Bill Scherr.

Keep rooting for the home team, Chicago!  Go 2016!

Chicago 2016: One year to Copenhagen from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

Before the season ended, I was blessed with the experience of sailing on a beautiful sailboat in Chicago.  James, the captain, and the crew of Big Meanie took me out for a glorious Sunday sail!  We competed in the last race of the season and my eyes were open to the majesty of being propelled along the water by nothing more than teamwork and Mother Nature.

Alas, my camera person didn’t show up, and I couldn’t film the race since my new team needed me on the ropes.  There was so much more that happened (two boats collided, a man fell overboard, crazy kooky wind shifts) however my hands were needed more “on deck” than on the camera during the race.

Still… it was another amazing Chicago experience that I will treasure. I found the following quote equally apropos to this post and to my life. Perhaps it will resonate with you as well.

“The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and impatient when least effective.” ~Henry David Thoreau

So true.

Sailing in Chicago… oh yeah! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

Nike Human Race 10K took place on Sunday and we had the pleasure of covering the event as MEDIA! (read: I got to ask the band semi-good questions in the press conference AND I tried EVERY single cookie in the VIP tent! If you are wondering, oatmeal raisin was the clear winner!)

A gang of us from the NBC5 Street Team were there… Cara Carriveau hosted the press conference AND also introduced the band on to the stage. Jim Grillo, Theresa Carter and I were there to conduct very serious journalistic reporting… as you can tell.

Fall Out Boy rocked out and you KNOW I just LOVE that they are FROM Chicago!

What’s MY favorite Fall Out Boy song?

Dance, Dance, OF COURSE!

“Fall Out” for Chicago’s Human Race from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

There is something very nostalgic, romantic and captivating about Navy Pier. There is so much to do, ride, see, experience and, of course, eat. All the hard facts about Navy Pier have can be found a thousand places online… so this is simply my experience. My date, if you will.

I have a crush on Navy Pier from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

I want to give Michelle a special “thank you” for filming most of this. She laughs at my jokes and that TOTALLY helps!

As I am pursuing my purpose, people keep asking me for headshots… and I feel that “school picture” nervousness…

Taking impromptu pictures at a party is one thing… Taking pictures for “picture’s sake” is quite another. Or is it?

So, long story short, I hired Jim Luning and he rocks! He loves his craft and it shows. Here is his website. I was in and out in an hour AND it was totally painless.

Here is a link to all the other pictures.

JenChicago

Have an AWESOME day and make some silly faces!