Like most people, I often enjoy looking back on the year by seeing where it started and where it ended. I also like to share (and consumer) lists of favorites for the year because I think it brings us together by uncovering commonalities, discovering something new from someone else, but also fostering a sense of community around things we all experience.
In this post, I am sharing photos from every month of the year. Some of these photos have a story while others are just photos I took myself and liked. Thanks to technology and photos being indexed in the background, sharing like this has become a lot easier. I hope you enjoy.
January
This photo was taken on a cold winter evening in January, just after the sun had set. I was on the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave for non-Chicago folk), stopped at the cross walk when I looked up and snapped this photo using my iPhone 12 Pro Max. I settled on the the black and white version of the photo because I think it did the photo justice and emphasized the clouds that halved the Sears Tower (or Willis Tower for those who wish to remain proper).
February
This photo was taken from the back of my apartment complex in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Chicago had just experienced some very cold and very warm days and the downspout on the side of the building was feeling the effects. This massive ice block hung over the only walkway connecting our apartments to the alleyway, which made throwing away the trash or entering through the back door quite a thriller. I shared this photo on social media and it got a lot of attention.
March
Not much to show from March in photos, but here’s a shot I took of some flowers I picked up from a grocery run at Whole Foods. It was a nice pop of life in my living room after a lot of grey outside that typically comes with a Chicago winter.
April
April deserves two photos because both of these photos have distinct, but connected, memories and emotions attached to them.
The first photo is me and two friends after just receiving our second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – marking out foray into the whole of being fully vaccinated. We were vaccinated at one of the mass vaccination sites in Chicago hosted at the United Center. This was quite an experience lining up with literally hundreds of others people to get a “dose of hope.” As it had been for many others, the pandemic before being vaccinated was really hard for me. You can see it in my eyes how big I’m smiling.
The second photo is of some champagne I had enjoyed at our family’s Easter Egg Hunt at my parent’s home in La Grange Park, IL. It was nice enough to enjoy outside. Since it was not long after receiving my vaccine, with the sun shining on my face, I finally felt free of my worries. A good moment for a glass of champagne.
May
Here’s a photo from a friend’s birthday celebration at a rooftop bar in the Loop called RASIED. The patio, which we dined on, has spectacular views of the city at night. Not a bad spot for a night on the town.
June
June is getting two photos as well. The photo on the left is a picture of a sunset outside of my bedroom window. The panoramic view made me feel as if I was immersed in the sunset. The second photo is from when the sidewalk spoke to me with a message painted to the ground. Again I was at the crosswalk, groceries in hand, when I snapped this photo. It meant a lot to me because mentally I had a hit a rough patch. The sidewalk spoke to me and it felt a lot like a friend’s hand on my shoulder. I knew I was ok.
July
This photo was taken at another one of my favorite rooftop spots in Chicago: The J. Parker Bar & Restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, taken on my iPhone.
August
This photo was taken at the Rivers Casino where we celebrated my friend’s birthday. It was my first time at Rivers, and while it has nothing on Vegas, we had a great time. As is normal for a casino, some us walked out with less than we started (me), but we all walked out with memories.
September
Here’s a photo I snapped of some street are on a wall nearby my doctor’s office in Chicago. The message spoke to me because of the ongoing political climate in our country. I think the message speaks for itself and one of those questions we should all be asking ourselves from time to time.
October
A photo I snapped using my iPhone from the window of a friend’s place in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.
November
Our family dinner table on Thanksgiving at my parent’s home in La Grange Park, IL. Dinner was smaller this year, but still cozy.
December
I’m really breaking the rules on this post, but December is getting two photos, too. The photo on the left is of some Christmas decorations on my living room table. (Yes, those are rainbow Christmas trees gifted to me from my Mom.) The photo on the right is of the Christmas Tree on Michigan Ave., just across from the Wrigley building (pictured).
Kyle Urbashich 