My Kind of Town

John Hancock Building & Friends

Looking northwest from the Oak Street Beach

Chicago, Illinois

July 9, 2006

1:30 p.m.

Back home yesterday after a weekend in Chicago for Jen's class at Northwestern. Always end a visit to Chicago with the same phrase; "we should go into the big city more often."

Really experienced some of the best the city has to offer in only a 48-hour period. Stayed in a nice hotel in a great part of the city (near Streeterville, for those in the know). Hung out at a great park near the Museum of Contemporary Art. Ate at a nice Italian place in a nice neighborhood north of Wrigleyville. Spent two really relaxing hours hanging out in the shade at the Oak Street Beach. And, all this was done in the company of a five-week old little girl.

Somewhat hard to come back to work after a weekend like that. Back to the routine after being among the diversity and energy of one of the world's great cities. When we first moved to northern Illinois in 1986, I was pretty nervous each time we went into the city. A somewhat high-strung high school student convinced that one wrong turn would send me down Hogan's Alley, lucky to emerge from the hail of gunfire that was sure to follow.

In time, and after many visits, I began to be more comfortable. Ventured into town during college a few times each year, learning a little something new with each visit. During my first real job, I was drafted to attend a early-morning news conference at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers on behalf of our organization. What happened next became known as "The Wrong Turn."

Left at 5 a.m. just to give myself time and made it there with plenty to spare. After a successful event, I headed out for the return trip, feeling confident that I knew how to return.

Didn't take long for me to get completely turned around down in the depths of the skyscrapers in River North somehow and, there I was heading down the wrong way of a fairly major one-way street, with a huge line of cars waiting half a block down for the light to change. After a few panicked expletives, I was able to gun the car into a parking lot and grab my bearings. It was not a pretty sight. Looking back, it does seem trivial. However, I can still remember feeling that "it's possible that I might never make it back home."

Today, years later, I've mastered the El, Metra, the bus system, cabs and Chicago, to me, is now filled with a million interesting things to do and no longer is the big scary city on the lake. Still have friends and family who rarely venture into the city. For various reasons, I suppose. "It's too big." "I'm not driving in there." "Take the train? Are you kidding?"

Too bad, really. They're missing out.