It has been just about 6 months since I made the big move north, from Florida to Chicago. So how would I rate my first 100+ days? Let me begin by saying, I <3 Chicago!
I have hit some of the major “must-sees” of the city but I haven’t even scratched the surface of all Chicago has to offer! First on my list of things to do… Wrigley Field, it was summer after all. My dad and I went to a Cubs game my second day in the city and I quickly learned that in Chicago, it’s not just a baseball game; going to see a Cubs home game is an all-day event! Pre-game took place at The Cubby Bear, our seats were in the outfield bleachers with, what my dad calls, “the bleacher creatures,” and post-game, we went to Harry Caray’s. I feel as though I got the full Cubs experience that day, which I repeated a month later with some friends. The first event I worked with Event Architects provided an opportunity for me to experience a different kind of all-day event at Wrigley; The Rachael Ray Block Party.
That first weekend included a trip to Shedd Aquarium and Navy Pier as well. We went to Navy Pier for the Saturday night fireworks that take place during the summer months - who doesn’t love a good fireworks show? Shedd Aquarium was impressive; my favorite exhibit is the Beluga Whales! Another great part of that museum campus area is the view. In my opinion, it’s the best skyline view in the city and I’ve gone out there several times to show it off to my Floridian visitors.
Millennium Park, The Bean and The Pritzker Pavilion were soon crossed off my to-do list also; little did I know that I would be working at The Red Hot Gala on the Pritzker stage in just a few short months! The Sears… excuse me, Willis Tower, came a little later. I did not walk out on The Ledge, but I put my toes right up to the edge and looked down! That counts, right?
I have spent a lot of time just walking around the city exploring different areas, and every time I do, I find another reason why I <3 Chicago!
So that just about covers the “sites” I have seen; food and entertainment are areas I need to work on! I made sure to see The Blue Man Group, which was an awesome show; I would definitely recommend it! Going to a jazz club is something I had always wanted to do and I found a good one, Kingston Mines, in Lincoln Park. I was lucky enough to get tickets, for my aunt and me, to The Oprah Winfrey Show also.
Two major restaurants that have stuck in my mind are Shaw’s Crab House and Café Ba Ba Reeba. Yum, Yum, Yum! West Egg Café for breakfast and The Weiner’s Circle for a Chicago Style hot dog; as far as deep dish pizza goes, I haven’t ventured too far but Gino’s East is delicious.
Have I mentioned that I got to see the Bears play the Packers at Soldier Field? It’s kind of a sore subject due to losing the game but just being in the stadium was amazing. Do you know what its like to seemingly be the ONLY Bears fan out of everyone you know? Having that many fans in the same place, decked out head to toe in Bears gear was super exciting!
Let’s see, what else? I saw leaves change for the first time and went to my first haunted corn maze. I’ve sang karaoke more times up here than I have in my life, which I’m not entirely sure is a good thing. Waking up to the first snowfall was a completely new experience, and a gorgeous one at that. I can now say that I have ice skated outside, in cold weather like it should be done. My first snowman was kind of a bust, more of a mound of snow but my roommate and I loved him anyway.
I would say that my first 100+ days were done well. But like I said, I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface! What should I do next? I am wide open to suggestions and recommendations from all of you, who <3 Chicago too!