"His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom."
~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I picked the best weekend to visit Chicago, or so everyone
told me. As many of you know, I’m from the South. Therefore, I consider myself somewhat
snow deprived. So when they said it was the best weekend, that meant it was in
the 40s and all the snow was melting. It warmed their hearts.
Not mine.
Thankfully, the snow gods gave me a little bit of snow the
day before I left. Just a little bit of
a sprinkle like powdered sugar. Right as we headed over to the outdoor skating
rink at Millennium Park. I was so thrilled. That said, it was in fact a perfect
weekend. It was warm enough to explore, wander around, and eat a little bit of
amazing food.
Chicago pizza included. It was my first deep dish
experience, and while I agreed with my host that it didn’t feel like pizza
because you couldn’t pick it up, it was spectacular. The crust was actually
thin, and a bit flaky and lovely. The pie was filled with tomato, cheese,
mushrooms and spinach, and of course, basil. Pizza, my friends. Without it, I
would be Barbie-doll thin.  |
| Bean! With skyline. I don't think you can see me in it. |
Thankfully, I did quite a bit of walking. I spent my first
day walking down to Lake Michigan and along Loyola’s campus at the shoreline.
And what a beautiful campus it was: right on the lake. My jealousy surged and
their proximity to the water. Milledgeville: a mile from a small river. Not
bad. Asheville: near a few small creeks. Pathetic. Being close to large bodies
of water makes me feel so relaxed and at peace. My next home will have big water
I can walk to. Preferably, an ocean.
Next, I wandered over to Rosehill Cemetery, and arrived
right at sunset. I promise, it wasn’t planned, but it was absolutely magical.
Snowy, with the sunset, and even a little pond that was iced over.
It was perfect. I didn’t want to leave.
The next morning I pulled myself out of bed (couch) to catch
the sunrise over the lake. Behold the beauty. Sunrises have always been my
favorite. And they still are.
I did a few touristy Chicago things. I went saw the bean, and
I went to the Art Institute. There were some lovely paintings, but the
highlight were the Thorne Miniature Rooms. They were exactly that. They were
typically a foot or two wide, but the window into the room was only a foot. You
could peek into the rooms next door, which was the coolest. Cutest.
So ultimately… I must go back.
You guys, whoever are reading this, you're the coolest. Thanks.
 |
| And I've been thinking Georgia College is beautiful! |
 |
| Skyline! Sidewalk line? |
