Chicago

I heard a lot of talk about how cold and miserable Chicago was going to be in February, but despite the rumors, I forged ahead and went anyway, and I'm glad I did! Though it was cold, Chicago is an amazing city, and I got to share it with a friend and his family, which was a lot of fun! I usually praise myself for good sense of direction (which I get from my dad) but that all went out the window in Chicago. There are so many burrows; Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Financial District, Bucktown. All of which blended together for me. One thing that always helps me in any city I am in is water. The Chicago River helped me understand where we were whenever we drove past it, but other than that, I was merely a passenger in the taxi being taken from unknown destination to unknown destination, which I'll admit, was refreshing, seeing as I am usually the one making plans and assembling directions. We stayed at an incredible hotel on Saturday night, which we definitely did not deserve, but embraced completely. Chicago has a very youthful vibe about it, though it is so old. The only new and sterile vibe I encountered was at O'Hare airport, where I flew in an out of. Word to the wise: Do not try to get on a stand-by flight the day prior to your actual departure. It will not work. At times, I can be a charming young lady, and on rarer occasions, I can be a mama-tiger who is ready to pounce if things do not go her way. Neither side of me wooed the American Airlines staff, but thanks to my favorite family in Illinois, I was able to get a good night sleep before getting on my flight back to Boston.