The Windy City...

…was windy. As I asked my friend Tanu, is it always windy here? Her reply was Yes. We arrived in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon and decided to stay in the River North neighborhood. We found the hotel through my car’s built in city guide, not knowing anything about Chicago. (My only visits to Chicago were when I was in grad school and I was involved in a sports tickets business and used to attend Chicago Bulls games…when Jordan played – what a time!) Yet again, as has happened so often during this trip, serendipitous choices have treated us so well. The River North neighborhood was wonderful to walk around and we happened on a great place to enjoy something to drink and some tasty goat cheese before we headed off to the Wicker Park area to meet Tanu for dinner. It hasn’t been often during this trip that we’ve stopped to “get dressed” (makeup, jewelry, ironing, etc.) as we’ve been “roughing it”. So, it was lovely to be in a great neighborhood and have a romantic moment. We drove over to meet Tanu at a restaurant called Rodan – ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I highly recommend it if you’re ever in Chicago. I had a yummy Thai shrimp curry dish – one of the best I’ve ever had.

Dinner with Tanu was one of those experiences that you treasure. The food was good, the conversation funny, the atmosphere urban and lively. But that wasn’t it – it was the remembering that good friends survive thick and thin. It was reconnecting after 2.5 years and picking up as though we’d never left off. It was seeing someone at a place in life you’ve been in before – working full-time and going to school full-time – and being so proud of them. It was telling stories that each of us had forgotten but weren’t hard to recall and be thankful for the experience. It was riding around in my car playing music loud and remembering all the times she and I would drive around South Beach (Miami) and dance in the car with the windows rolled down. Most of all, it was seeing a face and hearing a laugh that I hadn’t realized I missed as much as I do.

After dinner, Tanu took us on a drive around downtown Chicago – which is really beautiful at night. (No, Wendy I didn’t take pictures of the city - I promise I will when I have a digital camera!) One of the things I noticed about the city is the big wide streets, especially downtown. I love that.

It was hard to say goodbye – but we are looking to have her visit us in October. What a treat that would be.

And now we’re off to Cleveland to see my cousin Kiran. The trip is almost over, and that feels bittersweet – I am ready to start this new phase of life, sign our lease on our new place, and so on. But this road trip has been so amazing – far better than I could have ever imagined.

Oh – a random note I’ve been meaning to share. Did you know that all the rest stops in Iowa have wireless internet??? That’s sooooo 21st century, and it totally makes sense. I can’t believe Iowa of all places has that. We didn’t stop to use it, but it’s nice to know it was available in case my phone failed!