#chicagomarnie

I don’t know what is in the air in Chicago or what they put in the water but there’s something about being in this place that really just changes the way I look at things in the way I feel. I’ve talked about this before but there are certain places and things that just make me feel so at home and Chicago is one of them.

I first moved to Chicago when I went to college in August of 2012. At that point, I only knew one person in the whole city and that was my tennis coach. Never did I think that I would grow to love this place so much or meet some of my best friends here. Somehow after all these years I still have some of my best friends and memories here.

This trip was a little different and I think we all knew it would before I even got here. Given I was not drinking, I think none of us really knew what to expect. A part of me thought I would drink and I gave myself permission to do so but I think I would have been a bit disappointed in myself. I still had an incredible time seeing my friends but I know it was different. But that’s okay. I am very happy and proud with my decision to not drink and it’s a milestone I never thought I would hit. 41 days sober today and I could not be more proud.

I always knew the biggest test would be Chicago and now that I have passed it, I’m just trying to spend these last two weeks getting my body ready for nationals. I’ve been eating healthier than before but not enough so I think my focus will be to turn it up a notch and just be really mindful of what I’m putting in my body. At this point, being sober until the tournament is not concerning at all, but 41 days ago, that was not the case. I’ve come a long way.

Anyway, I loved my trip to Chicago. I got to meet my friends’ beautiful dog, Gordon, who is a stunning huskie pup. I also got to see my friend Liz get married and see all of her outfit changes — which were absolutely breathtaking and stunning. I got to see the beautiful skyline that I love so much. It was different but in the best way possible.

So you all know Chicago has such a special place in my heart so I wanted to do something that I have been wanting to do for a while now. I got my first tattoo here and countless piercings including my nose. That piercing has since been retired when I started working in the corporate world haha. Anyway, my grandfather passed away in May and it has been weighing heavy on my heart. He was such a special person for me and for so many other people. Such a bright light in any and every situation. He was so unique and he had the most peculiar penmanship. I was always mesmerized by it.

He was so lazy when he was younger. He developed a habit of writing his “A” like a triangle. He was too lazy to lift the pen from the paper to cross the A. That always stood out to me and I used to have such a hard time reading his writing. I remember trying to read the wifi password he had written down when I was younger and being like what the heck does this say? I learned to love it and when he passed, I knew I wanted that as a tattoo.

Our family name on that side of the family is Ochoa and since it’s my second last name, I’ll likely lose it when I get married. My very first email was on hotmail and it was marniep8a@hotmail.com. P for Perez and 8A for Ochoa. In Spanish, 8 is pronounced “ocho” and together it’s Ochoa. I got rid of it when I switched to Gmail but it’s always been something I really liked.

I decided to get this tattoo this weekend because I’ve been wanting to get something for my grandpa since the day he died. Obviously, I was too emotional when it first happened and I wanted to think it through. My mom sent me a picture of something he wrote that had a few As in it and I knew I wanted it right away. I got to design the tattoo in my head but the artist brought it to life. He got every detail of the A and the first 8 I drew on the iPad was the one we used.

I don’t know how he just knew what I wanted but he got it exactly how I had visualized it. I gave him like a very vague and generic description and he brought it to life. I actually had been to this tattoo shop before and that’s where I got my nose pierced and my mom had been with me. It just felt right.

Anyway, here it is. Ochoa forever. Chicago, thanks for yet another unforgettable trip.

Xx hangrymarn