48 Hours in Chicago in Pictures

Bonjour!

I recently spent a weekend in Chicago at the American Library Association Annual Conference. June in Chicago is busy and warm, bustling and dynamic. It was fun to be back in the Loop after so many years away (with a quick holiday visit with L’Husband two Christmases ago). This post shares photographs of my trip.

Chicago, Then and Now

Like so many experiences for me now as I reenter life, I found myself comparing life before and after the pandemic while I was in the city. It was like déjà vu all over again and seeing the world with new eyes at the same time… I couldn’t believe I actually lived in Chicago’s West Loop, practiced law and appeared in court, ran a yoga business, even got married. A lifetime ago.

This trip was a big deal for me. First train trip, first time in a hotel alone, first time at a professional conference all since the pandemic started. Also my first time away from Le Bébé since he was born over a year ago. Hence I was feeling a bit apprehensive about going away. (The clinical term for this is Crazy Eyes.)

Frankly, I hated it – being away, the dirty sidewalks and slack-jawed tourists, the overwhelming crush of eager librarians at the conference. But I did get my travel sea legs back. And within minutes of disembarking the train at Union Station and trundling down Jackson Avenue with my valise past the Sears Tower, someone asked me for directions. Still got it.

Chicago in Pictures

🚉 This Chicago Metra stop on Michigan Avenue has the same Art Deco design as some Métro signs in Paris. It always makes my heart heureux.

📸 Striking a pose in Grant Park. A random who turned out to be a professional photographer for Michigan State University offered to take a picture and I could not hardly refuse. Thank you, Derrick!

⚠️ I’m always on the lookout for fun street signs when I’m out and about in a city. I feel like this warning goes without saying, but hey, people are dumb.

🥐 The best and most délicieux part of my trip was the continental breakfast at my hotel; and I don’t care who knows it. I got served, used a white linen napkin, and read Vanity Fair uninterrupted. I had great coffee and Nutella pound cake. This was parfait.

⛴️ River North and the Chicago River as seen from my friend’s hotel room. Alas, my room had no such view.

🚌 My nook on the coach from Chicago back home. Yes, I had to ride a bus.

Fun fact: Amtrak, the United States rail system, is terrible. I woke at 6:00 a.m. the day of my departure to an email and a voicemail from an automated call announcing that my train from Union Station had been cancelled. Sacré bleu!

I hauled it to the station to find a line of coaches waiting to transport us all, bewildered and not at all amused, south. So we can add “take the bus” to my list of post-pandemic travel firsts.

As I mentioned oh-so-indelicately above, this trip was not great. But I saw friends from Milwaukee, Massachusetts, and Virginia whom I hadn’t seen in five or more years. I got to walk the streets and soak up the vibe, my favorite part of visiting any big city. It’s nice to know I can still get out and get around – and get home.

Are you ready to travel this year? Where would you like to go?

Merci for reading and please subscribe and share!

À votre santé,

Katie