I MADE IT BACK

For my first vacation of the year, I had many places that I wanted to go to, but it only felt appropriate to come back to Chicago. By spending a week there, I didn't have to rush and have such a crazy, packed itinerary. I actually got take my time and enjoy spending my time there.

ARCHITECTURE

Chicago is known for many things, but to me it's the architecture that stands out the most. Every moment that I was around the Loop, I couldn't help not looking up and being mesmerized by all the different buildings and how they all looked different throughout the day. If Chicago needed a nickname different from the Windy City, it would definitely be the Architectural City. From all the Art Deco buildings to the collections of Mies van der Rohe buildings, the buildings around Chicago are a sight to see.

GETTING AROUND THE CITY

Being from SoCal, driving is part of my life. A good portion of my day is spent in the car because everything is so far from each other. But in Chicago, downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods are actually really close, making public transportation and walking a part of how you get around. I really lucked out with good weather (no rain!) and was able to walk around a lot. I also chose to walk and not take the train because I was eating a lot on this trip and had to burn off extra calories.

THE CUBS

A must on my list for this trip was to watch the Cubs play. And I actually got to see them twice! (thanks Sarah!) Not only is it special to watch the Cubs play because they won the World Series, broke the curse, blah blah, but also because their stadium is amazing. As one of the oldest stadiums in the league, Wrigley Field is integrated into the city. Because it doesn't have that space to expand, it feels so intimate whenever you're there and makes it that much more special.

ART INSTITUTE & MCA

The Art Institute of Chicago has many accolades for being an amazing art museum. So, it was no surprise that I spent time there on this trip, but what I didn't expect was a Murakami exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and ended up making some time to visit the exhibit.

LAST BITS

All in all, having really amazing weather through the week played a huge part on the trip being so great. I was able to maximize my time spent outside, revisiting places and exploring new ones with friends. I hope that the images that I captured on film go to show that you don't have to do touristy things to really experience Chicago because there really are amazing things to do that aren't touristy.