Jae Marie’s Journeys: Chicago

2017 was my year to attend as many concerts as possible, but 2018 is officially my year to travel to different cities. I kicked off this year’s travel log with a stop in the Windy City of Chicago.

Your first question is probably, “What is in Chicago?” And your second is probably, “Did you know there are subarctic temperatures in Chicago in January?” Before I boarded the plane I was asked both questions by everyone who knew I was going.

To answer the weather question, I️ love the cold. As a New York native, I️ miss the change in weather. So I️ was definitely excited to pull out my winter coats and scarves. As for what is in Chicago, we soon found out. Our late-night flight put us in at midnight, with just enough time to head out to experience night life. After attempting to walk to a nearby strip of bars and taking pictures of the skyline along the way, we finally opted to avoid the frostbite and Ubered to Celeste, a trendy bar where the people were pretty and the drinks were premium. We hopped to another nearby bar with great music and other out-of-towners. We finally hit our pillows at 4:30am.

The next day was our time to be true tourists. With an all day pass for the bus and metro, we started off at Nutella Cafe for breakfast before heading to the Bean, the Jane Addam’s Hull-House Museum at the University of Illinois at Chicago, China Town, Navy Pier and other random shops and stops along the way.

Of course I couldn’t go to Chicago without getting my first slice of the city’s famous deep dish pizza from Giordano’s.

That night, we ended up at El Hefe, where we were invited to skip the line and the freezing cold. After spending some time there, we headed to Wrigleyville, and wandered into a local bar with a bridal party dancing on table tops, before finally ending up at Concrete Cowboy until 4am.

Sunday. Our last day. With a three hour wait the day before, the Sears Tower was out of the question, but one Uber driver told us that the women’s bathroom in the John Hancock Building has the best view of the city. And he was right. With that last stop, it was time to head to the airport but not before meeting more locals who filled us in on the true meaning behind the Windy City (apparently not because it’s cold but because a reporter called the city Windy as a way to call residents flashy), the best time of year to come back and places we should visit.

This trip really got me thinking. What cities would I️ possibly want to move to in the future? I️t also got me thinking about my next destination and how to find the best deals. We got great deals on a our airfare and hotel, probably because no one is traveling to Chicago at the time of year unless they have to. We even had our seats upgraded because the flight was so empty. Either way, I’m looking forward to returning, visiting the iconic Wrigley Field for a Cubs game, and taking a visit to Loyola Chicago.