Initially, I was considering not recapping my time in Chicago. I thought it would be a bit boring, like recapping a week at home. However, the time we spent in the Planters' offices were so cool and it was the first time I really felt like an integral part of the company. It's a unique position, as we are only guaranteed 1 year with the Planters brand - but for that one year, we are part of it! And they were not afraid to tell us all the secrets.
First, I want to quickly recap my lovely time with friends in Chicago. I have been very homesick (especially when I was actually sick) -- it's crazy how much of your life changes in a matter of months. Getting to see my old apartment for the last time and go to Musical Mondays at Sidetrack and then fall asleep on the couch was a perfect little taste of old times. Chase, Allie, Claire, Ally, and Miles made up the party crew who were so down to sing showtunes on a Monday night with me (and have been many many times in the past). I woke up and shortly after was greeting by cuddles from Bert, which made my morning feel incredibly nostalgic. Chase and Allie also came to the NUTmobile and we had really lovely time by the river (which we almost never went to in the 2 years we lived together).
I met Nick's son, August! And got to give him the stuffed animal I crocheted in person, which was a very special moment that I did not think would work out - timing was on my side this day and it felt so good. I realized I had never spent time with just Nick 1:1, and I felt so special that I was able to see him and have dedicated time with a person I really admire (and his perfect child!)
Seeing Ryan Schwaar and Rachel was a delight, and we spent the evening walking around Lakeview and talking about 1 million things, and moving chess pieces on a board. (I would say 'playing chess' but I certainly had no idea what I was doing). "Comforting presences" is an understatement when it comes to those two.
Canelle and I had a lovely afternoon in the park together and she brought her camera and took some very crazy and cool pictures of me and my crochet top which was so fun! The world feels extra sunshiney when you have creative friends and Canelle always reminds me of that.
Maya and I had a perfect evening of petting dogs and cats at the Anti-Cruelty shelter and then practicing a routine of vulnerable conversations at Nandos. Nothing brings out emotions like Peri-Peri sauce. Maya is a friend that remains so easy to talk to and every time I see her it feels like life is handing me a golden nugget.
The first work day in Chicago was spent at the downtown Planters office which was so cute! I love when an office is decorated like the brand and both places we went for Planters definitely went for it. This was a pretty chill day, just a couple meetings and we were able to relax most of the day.
The Northbrook Office
There is SO much I wish I could tell you about what I learned at the Northbrook office. We got to sit in on a 3 1/2 hour long meeting about all the future plans for Planters and the next few years for this brand are gonna be huge. Here's some fun facts that I am allowed to talk about:
Next year, Mr. Peanut is going to be in a Netlfix Movie!! It's called The Electric State, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Pratt, and directed by the Russo Brothers. I literally am SO excited about this and the marketing tema is really anxious to see what kind of awareness it bring to the brand. Selfishly, I am just thinking about how we get the NUTmobile and all the Peanutters TO THE PREMIERE? Helloooooo!? Don't lie and say that would not be your first thought. Will keep you all posted, but SEND GOOD VIBES THIS WAY. I want to go to that premiere so bad.
The office we visited is the Research and Development office, meaning they have dedicated labs with the food scientists who are responsible for creating new flavors for future product. We got to taste test some trial flavors they have been working on for a while (something tells me they get to do this a lot).
Apple Cider Donut Cashews are INCREDIBLE and they will be back next fall and you need to try them.
Here is a mini-vlog I made about our time in the Northbrook office if you want visuals!
Halfway through the week we got a random DM from a producer at Barstool Chicago asking if we could stop by their office and have an apperance on the Mostly Sports podcast. Of course, we said yes! Being someone who doesn't drink and isn't really a sports enthusiast, I was kinda expecting to feel pretty ho-hum about the whole thing. But, the guys at Bartstool Chi totally beat that assumption - they were all so excited and kind and it was a super easy, really fun couple of hours.
You can watch the feature here:
Time Stamps: 15:45 -18:30 and 1:31:30 - end
One final thing I would love to do before I close this out - I have been collecting postcards from everywhere we stay and have always grabbed one for myself and one to send out to a friend or family member. If you would like to potentially recieve a postcard from me over the next year, please click the link below and fill out the address form! Your address will only go to me and will not be posted publicly. I'll write all of them down and do my best to make sure everyone gets one. :))))
Thank you everyone for your support on my blog so far! Would love to see who's here and reading in the comments below! Let me know!
I love reading about your adventures. Can’t wait to see where you go next.
I’m here too! Keep it up, you’ll always treasure this written history of your year in the Nutmobile!
I'm here, I'm here! I am enjoying your blog posts so much! Please don't stop.