Home Again

I’m back in DC again tonight. It always feels good to come home, but I do miss Chicago.

 There is something quite charming about the city. It has a great vibe – great food, fun culture, gorgeous location – all mixed with a charming Midwest tang. Our seminar was at held in downtown Chicago and I was one of the few from out of town. And as such, one of the few without that famous Chicago accent which never fails to draw a smile from me. Maybe it’s the demeanor that comes along with the accent. Maybe I’ve watched too many old SNL skits. Either way, I’m predisposed to liking people from around the Great Lakes. The times I’ve visited in the spring and summer have almost (almost) convinced me that the bitter winters couldn’t possibly be a reality. 

I used to travel to and only to Kansas for work and grew resentful towards the whole idea of work travel. But with this company and particularly this year, I’ve been traveling quite a bit and to different cities. I hope this continues. It helps perpetuate my tapas-type approach to life. A nibble here, a nibble there, varying tastes and textures and experiences without gorging myself on any one dish. I can fall in love a hundred times only and retain fond memories of each, hoping to taste of them once again….

Yikes. No wonder I’m not married. ;o)

Chi-Town

I’m in another hotel room tonight. This time, in Chicago. The Windy City isn’t windy at all. The weather here is just as gorgeous as in DC. I sat in the back of a cab coming into the city and enjoyed the sparkling blue waters of the lake. It always amazes me that it is, indeed, a closed body of water. My childhood never prepared me for lakes so large you couldn’t see the other side. It wasn’t until my first trip to Chicago, many years ago, that I learned otherwise. 

People were everywhere. Jogging, biking, sunning. Simply celebrating the warmth and sunshine. Chicago isn’t a pleasant city in the winter and I could understand why its denizens would pop out of their hibernation with such gusto when given the chance, even on a Monday evening. I wished I had gotten here earlier in the day to enjoy it with them. I can’t think of anything nicer to have done today than to sit by the water, sun on my shoulders, watching the world go by. 

As it was, I checked in and went for a walk. By this time the sun had set, but people were still out and about. I honestly didn’t have any place to go. I just wanted to soak in the energy and the city. It was rewarding on both counts. Chicago in the spring is a beautiful thing.