Back from Chicago. this is the 2nd time i've visited the wind city in the past 6 months. Still very fun nevertheless. got to do a lot of things I didn't get to do last time. for example, getting a Go Card and maximizing its use:

1. taking the Gray Line tour of the South side of Chicago: didn't get to pop in this neighborhood at all last time i was here. it was pretty easy to get to the meeting point where the tour departed. We drove passed Kenwood where Obama's house is and the local pizzeria/barbershop/baskin robins etc. also University of Chicago and its medical center where i will never get in...

2. Skydeck on the now Willis Tower (formerly Sears). super fun because i could cut in front of everybody with my GoCard and there weren't that many visitors anyway. the view was fantastic and i thoroughly enjoyed the Ledge, the new glass installation/protrusion out the building on the 103rd floor you can literally stand on and watch the traffic beneath your feet. I should have been really scared, but i wasn't because the excitement took over too much. ;)



3. visited ALL of the museums: because they were all included!! so we visited the Adler Plantetarium (fun x1), Shedd Aquarium (fun x 3, lots of exotic fishes and the white whale), and the Field Museum (fun x 100, Sue the T. Rex and lot of other interesting stuff about earth and its beginnings were on display. oh, and the largest mummies collections).



4. and i finally got to window shop. last time i hit magnificent mile i was so tired i literally just sat on the bench in the lobby. but this time we actually took our time with the 900 shops and the water tower place and nordstrom and neiman marcus...it was shopping heaven! Although i still didn't buy anything because i was too lazy to try anythng on and bring anything back...but Macys on State st was real pretty for sure.

5. different coffeeshops! one of my favorite things to do while being outside of east LA where the closest choice is usually..you guessed it..starbucks! or coffeebean/seattle's best/peet's. we took our time to try out every coffeeshop around the corner. and i really loved Argo Tea (i experienced tea euphoria there) and Lavazza coffee and au bon pain and Corner Bakery. can i PLEASE move to a big city already where there's tea shops around the corner where i live???

6. Pizza- Giordanos. Yum last time, Yum this time.

7. Hot Dog - Portillo's. yum both times. the italian sausage was to die for.




8. Signature room on the 95th floor of JOhn Hancock tower - love both times. had a bottle of sparkling wine which tasted yummy and the plum tart and coconut bavarian. interesting desserts i never had before.



9. Architecture cruise and Navy Pier (and the firework show at night)

10. the Bean, art institue (the Grant Wood drawing was there this time!)

11. and the people were exceedingly nice. i wish i didn't have to choose btw moving away to somwhere i really like and some place whre i can be close to my friends and family. :( everybody knows how much i LIKE LA...but this is where most my friends/family are...

last trip before the start of my rotation next week! ><