Chicago: Our Favorite Spots

Renaissance goldsmiths created jewels that could be transformed by a change of light or position. I read that while at the Chicago Institute of Art last weekend and couldn’t help but think how we also can be transform our circumstances, with the right outlook and position.

Having a week filled with work, anxiety, and some bad news—I was in need of a change of position. Easily enough, my two incredible roommates, convinced me to spontaneously fly with them to Chicago.

Of course I couldn’t say no.

Thus began our adventure to Illinois. My plane arrived at 8 AM and Carlie’s at 9 AM, to which we boarded the CTA and watched out the window as the snow gracefully danced in the sky. Out on the street I noticed a couple walking down the alley holding hands as the man lifted his arms to twirl the woman in a circle. We were high in the sky on the train, zooming past buildings holding many different lives and circumstances.

We came out of the tunnel and into the city, with snow piles nestled on rooftops. Three pigeons were huddled by a fire on the sidewalk and my toes were already numb, nevertheless Carlie and I were gleaming with excitement. 

Our morning breakfast was at Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe, which did not disappoint. Kennedi and I shared the Denver skillet with the cinnamon swirl pancakes. They melted in my mouth and vanished within seconds. Walking to our hotel was a bit chilly, but not as cold as I had anticipated. The streets held many adorable displays on the side, such as dresses fabricated from trees and nature elements. Once we finished browsing some stores on North Michigan Ave, we stopped at Starbucks for a caramel apple spice, then made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.

After some power naps, since Carlie and I had only gotten two hours of sleep the night before arriving (whoops) we walked to dinner at Pizzanos—my new all time favorite pizza place. We ate gooey cheese sticks as the appetizer while we sipped on our cold cider’s. Our deep dish pizza finally came out, which was absolutely the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted. The sauce was freshly homemade, and I’m still salivating at the thought. We met up with a high school friend of Kenni’s, as we made our way to dancing and drinks. 

The next day we started off at the The Art Institute of Chicago and I felt like a child in a candy shop. We instantly beelined for Monet and I discovered what I imagine heaven to be like. Up close his paint strokes were so ferocious, yet far away, they were delicate and unified. Next we went the Medieval and Renaissance art in context from 1200-1600, since it was Kenni’s favorite section. She even mentioned she had chills just from entering the room behind surrounded by hundreds of year old artwork. 

We continued to wander around the museum for a lil while longer, since we were meeting Carlie at the Bean. Stopped for postcards for the grandparents and then met up with Carlie for some pictures to capture the memories. Vapiano’s was our late lunch/early dinner which made me all kinds of happy since it was one of my favorite Italian places to eat at while I was in Europe. Got the mushroom risotto with parmesan cheese and enjoyed the company and atmosphere. 

It was ironic as we were all procrastinating the walk back to our hotel, so finally ordered an Uber over to the Lounge. It was ominous and eerie as the clouds blocked the 306 view of the city. We didn’t want to be surrounded by the fog so went back down the 95th floor (95 FLOORS!) and practically walked in circles trying to figure out somewhere to eat. We settled on Giordano’s and stuffed ourselves with more deep dish pizza. Finished our trip snuggled up in our King suite. Fell asleep to Netflix and dreaming up ideas for our next trip.

When flying back home to Orlando the next morning, I kept reflecting on how right the Renaissance goldsmiths had it. While the goldsmiths transform their jewels by light or position, we can transform our realities by switching our mindsets, shedding new light on the subject, and cherishing the creation process.

Hope you’re dreaming of your next adventure.

xx,

Shelby