Chicago

I went to Chicago. Or rather, I went back.

For the first time in a long time.

I've been back to visit, but not really, not in the way where you have a lot of free time to spend in the city...which is not truly the way it was when I lived there, but still. This trip was a lot of free time, almost like living there, if living there meant you were independently wealthy and never had to work. Which would be awesome…

It can be an amazing city. I was staying in my old neighborhood, and was better at getting around than when I have stayed elsewhere within the city limits. As if my Chicago compass has lincoln park as it's center. And buses! I never used buses much in college, mostly because the majority of my trips involved direct routes on the L lines. And they were a hassle. Now they seem speedier, more reliable, and more importantly tell you the streets as you approach so you can actually get off on the right spot. They are also equipped with GPS and if you can find wireless while you are waiting for the bus, it will tell you exactly when the next one is coming – but IF you can find wireless. Most people have wisely secured their wireless, which for us would-be thieves is a big pain in the ass.

Chris did make a friend on one of the buses: a gentleman that would have fallen into the ‘drunken bum’ category, except he was not drunk, didn’t smell at all, had a bus pass that he used successfully, and actually seemed to be fairly knowledgeable, specifically about old cars and air cooled engines. He spied Chris’ t-shirt w/ the Volksrodder logo, and cam e over to chat. But in that uncomfortable way where you’re not quite sure if the person has all their marbles – and he did seem to have lost some along the way, but the ones he kept were interesting. And then the crazy started peaking out, with cars he invented but hadn’t built that would have revolutionized the world. Or maybe it was true, who knows. He seemed cared for somehow – someone was keeping him clean and fed – but we were curious what his story was…

I got to see old college pals, some I haven’t seen in a really long time. It was great to see that everyone was going so well – I feel so proud of all of them. Strangely (?), the majority of my college pals were guys, and they have meet some really amazing women, who also tolerated some nostalgia ridden ‘remember whens’ – which makes them very tolerant people, as well as interesting and lovely.

And I got to see an old gal-pal and her very cool little girl. She and her husband have been married since soon after college, and are so happy together. It made me feel better about the fact that Chris and are still ridiculously happy (almost three years of marriage!) especially amid all the recent splits that we’ve heard about. They make me nervous, like I should be looking over my shoulder at some mysterious thing creeping up.

And I got to see one of my dearest college pals get married to a beautiful and brilliant woman. I felt truly lucky to be able to be there, and celebrate the two of them.

Ah, Chicago. Why don’t I live there? There are so many good things about it. I sometimes forget, though, until I am there how - as one person put it – isolating and expensive it can be (sometimes those are the same thing). I do want to move back one day, but it is unlikely that it will actually happen. I like the amenities of living rural-ly – like big dogs, quiet, actual darkness at night, big gardens, and landscapes and vistas made from trees and mountains instead of buildings.

But good god it was nice to visit.