ChiTown

Part of me wants to just grab a day pass for public transportation and do a Google thrift store search and see if I can find some old Gameboy games for Shayne and a vintage Cubs jersey and maybe a Painted Pony that has been discarded. Big city thrift stores are so fun. I also love discovering restaurants off the beaten path. I wouldn’t mind dropping by the Chicago Mosaic school and picking up some smalti in person, but that’s not what this trip is about.

The first time I came to Chicago, I came with a group of teachers on a tour of American cities to explore the history and bring back our learning to our classrooms. Before the trip, we had to read Upton Sinclair’s, “The Jungle, and other books about the city and its role in shaping the nation. Then we spent ten days touring the area in a luxury bus, walking the raining, steamy streets, gazing up at the city built on the edge of a vast lake, and getting back stage passes to all the places tourists crowd to see. An added attraction for me was that my birth mother also lives in Chicago. I came away feeling connected to the city, like it had claimed a small part of my heart.

I have been back to the city many times since the first time. Each visit takes me to another place, the theater, The Mexican Art museum, a Cubs homestand, music festivals, but this visit I have come as tourist guide for my brother and his family. I am doing Chicago in a new way. Taxis, shopping, photos of famous buildings. Last night I rose above the city on the Centennial Wheel.

Today, we are going to the Chicago Art Institute and I am excited to see the lions and the Impressionists and for my nieces to see the miniature collection. I have never been to the museum and not come away with a sense of awe. I can’t wait for The Bean and the photos that will inevitably come. I think the Bean might actually be the birthplace of selfies. My bed last night was the lap of luxury and I got to wake up and talk to my niece about nothing of importance. I walked with my sis in law along the pier with the early morning enthusiasts and watched the city start to wake up. These are memories I will have forever. And that’s what this trip is about.