The Purple Pig and Labyrinth

A couple of quick notes about today:

I stopped at The Purple Pig after getting that suggestion from a friend of mine.  It’s right off Michigan Ave which seems to be in the heart of the shopping area and wow it didn’t disappoint.  The service was incredible (thank you for a great lunch, Ryan) and the food was stunning.  I got a fried deviled egg and pork shoulder.  Both were succulent (and yes, I needed to wait on iPhone’s autocomplete to kick in for that one).  

Before lunch and after Tilt at The John Hancock Building, I stepped in a church (4th Presbyterian Church to be exact) to take a look around like I like to do and was pleasantly surprised to find that they have a labyrinth. (Again.  Thank you autocomplete). I love walking labyrinths.  I have gotten into them within the last couple of years.  Walking it today provided some nice peace, quiet, feeling of feelings and a great time of connection. 

I’m Glad I Waited

During my time here in Chicago (which, by the way, feels like more like a week than 3 days....and that’s a good thing) I have been wanting to write about my Uber/Lyft drivers.  All four of them that I engaged in conversation were absolutely some of the most pleasant and genuine people I’ve talked to in a long time. But, maybe, just maybe people are just amazing if I’m actually looking for the good. 

Let me tell you about them:

Opening night it was Roberto picking me up from ORD.  Originally from Ecuador, this gentle man (yes, I separated them for a reason because he was very unique in my experience with his ability to speak in a calm, gentle manner about real things) explained his experience with learning to enjoy more time for himself.  I related a lot to him sharing about working all the time and missing out on things at home.  He also shared about his family back home and how it differs a lot from his wife’s side of the family.  She’s American and Roberto has a hard time understanding how little she sees her family. Back home for him, his family does everything together and many of them even live together.  I related a lot to that too.

This morning it was Nestor.  I didn’t catch where he was from but he was so excited to explain to me the different parts of Chicago and the things I needed to see.

This afternoon it was Alexander who is a born and bred Chicagoan.  What a great guy.  We shared travel stories and he told me about his neighborhood and the gentrification that was occurring.  Taxes in his area are now north of $10,000 per year.  Incredible.

And then, also this afternoon, was my ride with Aleksandra.  As I sit in O’Hare International Airport I’m in awe of the experiences I get to have.  For 50 minutes in the car with her I was transported to another world.  Aleksandra explained her journey from growing up in Serbia, to playing professional basketball, to coming to school in the states and then her work to become a citizen of the US.  She has been working on the process for a few years now.  It honestly sounds like a real headache and kudos to her for continuing the process and doing things the right way.  She explained that Chicago has a huge Serbian population so she has a home away from home.  We shared stories about European travel and the differences between the States and Europe.

I felt transported in that car because I felt like I was in Europe.  I absolutely had a blast talking with her about basketball and life in general.  It even turns out Tarence Kinsey plays for the team she used to play for (the women’s team of course) in Serbia.  What a small world.  But my point is, I could have ridden around Chicago with her for hours just talking.

I love talking.  Wait. I love conversations.  I’m learning that I like talking too. But I love interacting with people and listening to the things they share.  Listening to Aleksandra was such a pleasure for me.  I felt at ease.  I felt like I was having a conversation with a chill European.  And I was.

I told her at the end of the ride that I’m coming back to Chicago and I didn’t want to break any Uber rules, but I explained to her I’d love to hang out when I got back up here.  And, for those of you keeping score at home, no this is not a romantic type interest of hanging out.  This is pure and simple human connection at its finest.  That’s what I love.

And here’s the reality, I may never see Aleksandra again.  I hope I do.  But if I don’t, I can rest and be thankful that I met and interacted with another incredible human, one that is perfectly fine being herself and experiencing life.  That’s the lesson I’m taking from this ride:  I’m fine just the way I am. I don’t have to pretend to be anything.  I can sit in ORD, with my legs crossed, typing a blog post on my phone, and typing said blog post into an archaic website interface.....and that’s all just fine.

Chicago,

Thank you for an amazing three days.

Here’s to more today and in the future, both here and wherever I am.

Brian

(I would like to point out that I rarely take selfies.  This selfie signifies for me that I’m perfectly ok with me at the moment)

Tilt-a-Whirl

First stop this morning was the John Hancock building downtown.   This building houses Chicago 360 which is one of the two major overlooks in the city.  It also boasts the “Tilt” experience which is exactly what it sounds like.  Ticket holders get tilted on a 30 degree angle out the side of the building and get to look down on the city.  And by “ticket holders,” I mean me.  This experience was absolutely exhilarating.  I knew the apparatus wasn’t going to fail.  But then, there’s still a part of my mind saying, “Yep.  It’s going to fail.”   But, fail it didn’t.  The top picture is from the ground showing the glass tilting out and looking down.  It’s an $8 add on to the $22 ticket to get to the top, but I recommend it.  

The ride up and the experience at the top is not quite as impressive as Top of the Rock or The Empire State Building, but it’s srill good.  The views are very nice.  

Now that I think about it, the experiences between the NYC overlooks and today’s overlook of Chicago fits with my experience of both cities.  I really like both cities, and there’s just something different about Chicago.  It’s a BIG city.  And it doesn’t feel like life is moving at break-neck speeds. The pace is differed.  Slower.  Calmer.  And I like that.  I’ll be interested to see if time here in the summer is the same or if more people will be out hustling.  

The “Caution Falling Ice” sign cracked me up.  Was this sign suggesting that I look up to avoid falling ice?  Do I really want to be looking up risking my eye being hit by falling ice?  Should I have worn a helmet?  And really....think about it:  If I did look up and see ice falling, how difficult would it be to avoid being hit?  I can only imagine that ice wouldn’t fall in a straight line especially in a city nicknamed “The Windy City.”  Just something for my readers to think about.  I know.  I know no one reads these. 

College Hoops

There’s nothing quite like watching college basketball for me.  And even though the game didn’t go the Sycamores way tonight, this is a talented group that will learn and grow from tonight’s game.  

Thanks to Brett for allowing me to come up this week to Chicago.  And thanks to Coach Lansing and the rest of the Indiana State staff for making me feel so welcome.  This is a first-class group that I am extremely thankful to know.  You can pull for ISU knowing that they do things the right way and are fantastic people.  

About Chi Town

A couple of things right off the bat (pun intended):
I like Chicago. 
I want to visit Chicago when it’s warmer. 
I want to see a Cubs game.  
I want to take a river tour.  
I want to walk around the city when I can feel my fingers, face and toes.  
The Cloud Gate (or Bean as locals have referred to as) is quite cool.  Pictures don’t do it justice. 

After breakfast this morning I ventured out into the city and began my journey at the L Station near Loyola-Chicago’s campus.  Rose, the CTA attendant on duty, was extremely helpful to me helping me navigate the different ticket options.  Once I finally got on a train (after mistakenly thinking the first train was not the one I needed to be on thusly putting my fingers and toes in a frozen state) I made my first stop at Addison Station which is right near Wrigley Field.   What a cool setting for a baseball stadium.  RIGHT in the middle of the neighborhood.  Seeing bleachers on top of buildings across the street was a real hoot.  I need to see a game there.  

The river area as well as Millenium Park are really cool.  Tons of people were at the park.  I can only imagine the setting and energy if it was warmer.  Oh, it was a high of 33 today I believe.  

The Cloud Gate is a must see.  I believe it’s 168 pieces of metal welded together but it looks like one solid, smooth piece.  

The energy in Chicago is a little different than I thought.  No one seems really to be in too much of a hurry.  It’s kind of chill to be honest.  I was expecting a little more hustle and bustle like NYC. 

Oh, and thank goodness for Argo Tea.  

It’s about game time here at the Gentile Center!

More to come later

Maybe. Just Maybe

Maybe there are amazing, genuine, loving, caring and incredible people all over the world. Maybe it's not "out of the ordinary" to meet someone that wants to talk about real things and share a laugh.

I was reminded last night that people are inherently good by Patrick at Bruno's in Chicago, Illinois. Patrick hosted us at his place (opened in 1956) and treated us like we were family. He is another in what I still consider a rare breed, but that I'm encountering more and more during my travels around the globe. Patrick loves people. He has a gift of making people feel at home. Like they are accepted and loved. He has a knack for keeping conversation going. He has opinions and allows others to share theirs. He stands up for what he believes in. Patrick is just plain awesome and an amazing human.

I can't tell you how thankful I am to have met Patrick and spent the time with these guys last night. Oftentimes when I approach a trip, I do my best to find the "perfect" places to go. Bruno's, more than likely, won't show up on any travel site as a must-see destination. However, I can't imagine a trip to Chicago now without a stop by Bruno's.

Patrick, thank you for an amazing evening. Thank you for your hospitality, generosity and kindness. I'll be back without a doubt.

A Little Flip

Interesting that there is such a big price difference at the moment for Lyft vs. Uber here in the Windy City.

Was my potential overpacking of pullovers and a jacket affected by Chicago's nickname? You betcha.

Comfort in the Bag

There is a sense of comfort I have packing a bag to board a plane.  How fortunate I am to get to do such things.  

Today I decided to fly to Chicago.....today.  It’s wheels up in about 30 minutes from CAE.  I get down on Columbia sometimes, but I’m thankful CAE has direct flights to ORD.  

This trip came together pretty late.  My plans for the week changed a bit.  Truthfully, I wasn’t interested in hanging around Columbia for the next few days.  I was certainly looking for a reason to get out of town and it just so happens that Brett’s team plays Wednesday night.  

Tomorrow I’ll be watching the Indiana State Sycamores open their conference schedule at Loyola-Chicago. 

I’m a fortunate guy.  I love basketball.  I love college basketball.  I’m thankful that Brett is gracious to let me hang around him, the ISU coaching staff and their guys.