Chicago, I Love You

Chicago blew us away-- no windy pun intended. My mom, aunt, and I were there for a long weekend, getting back today. They participated in a twins study at the U of Chicago on Friday, and had invited me along. I now am a devoted fan of the city, and am most likely moving there, perhaps tomorrow. It was great.

On Friday, I was by myself while my mom and Steph were subjected to boring tests, interviews, and an MRI. After finally finding a place in the vicinity of our hotel where I could buy a CTA (public transport) pass, I went to Andersonville, which is on the Near North Side. I was starving by the time I got off the El after a 30-minute ride. The El was nice, but sort of scary because you are above the ground without being able to see the tracks beneath you. It was also very efficient; the CTA gets an A+ from me, considering that it's in the US. I loved that it was very straightforward, and I wasn't going to accidentally end up anywhere I didn't want to (last summer Olivia and I accidentally went to Brooklyn trying to get to Century 21). When I got down to street level, I walked as fast as possible through a really nice residential neighborhood to north Clark, the main drag in Andersonville. I ate breakfast at Ann Sather's, which I highly, highly recommend. It was basically my idea of heaven. I had a two cinnamon rolls, a wonderful omlette loaded with spinach and feta, and warm cinnamon apples. Oh, and a bottomless cup of coffee, thanks to my waitress. I drove Mutti and Steph crazy the rest of the weekend with my constant chatter about Ann Sather's.

After that, I went to a few stores, picked up some cool earrings and a scarf, and then got back on the El and went south a bit to Lakeview, a really nice neighborhood. There, I went to a few vintage shops, then went back into downtown. After catching my breath, I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which had a big photography exhibit on.We ate dinner at Cafe Iberico, which was recommended by my friend Kate. After some tapas, we were thoroughly exhausted.

The next day we shopped almost all day. That night, we ate at Papa Milano's, which is unfortunately being demolished next week. It was another great meal, full of fresh pasta. When we were walking back from the restaurant, we ran into Ja'net, who had helped us in the Macy's shoe department earlier. We started talking to her, but she was on her way to meet up with her husband, who just finished playing jazz piano at a restaurant. Instead of saying bye, we went along with her, and then ended up meeting her sister, LaVonne, as well. The ensuing conversations were full of laughter due to the effusiveness of the sisters. My favorite line was from LaVonne: "I can't drive, I don't got no license. The only thing I can do is drive men crazy."

I loved Chicago because nearly everyone was as friendly as Ja'net and LaVonne. Everybody says "hi" and smiles and talks to the people around them. It was refreshing, and it reflected some of the best of American personality, both in the city and in its residents. I'm so glad I was invited along on this trip, and I can't wait to go back.