I last left off talking about how I just landed in Chicago and I was getting ready for my interview there. From the moment I landed in Chicago I was greeted with Christmas cheer, starting with the airports lining the street to the airport. 
Then she answered all my questions about life in Chicago and gave me a guided driving tour through downtown so I could get my bearings. 
We drove on Lake Shore Drive so I could see just how BIG lake michigan is. It felt more like the puget sound than a lake!
I passed by the ice rink and thought about renting a pair of skates, but just took in the sites and sounds fromd ry ground instead. 
The 63 foot christmas tree was particularly delightful after the sun fully set, but I didn't get a good photo of it, so you'll have to imagine it in this daylight image. 
I got plenty of practice trying to take a selfie with the bean, and I must admit, I wasn't very good at it, but it was fun nonetheless to watch everyone else with (and without) their selfie sticks, working to get that perfect creative shot. 
I continued my walking tour (wishing I had a beanie to protect my ears from the wind!) along the curving trail that was completely ADA friendly without stairs at either end and with a wonderful slow sloped curve to it. It was good to see a city that made it possible for everyone to enjoy it. 
I imagined what it might be like to catch a concert here in the summer time
And I was shocked to see another ice skating opportunity called the "skating ribbon" that weaved in and around the rock climbing wall
Complete with these pipes all throughout the park that were connected so when it was time to go home, parents coould call for their kiddos who could hear them on the sloping hills, the swing set, the tree house, etc. How cool is that?
I loved the amount of exploration built into the park
And again, the backdrop of the city skyling made it particularly unique!
As the sun set, my ears, face, and fingers were frozen and I was ready to warm up. I walked through the shops downtown on my way home and saw Macy's and all the other store fronts all dressed up for the holidays
After weaving in and out of the shops to keep warm, I walked the 2.5 miles back to my apartment for the night and got to see some pretty spectacular views as a fog rolled in over the city. As usual, the photos don't do it justice 
I had my first negative uber experience next--the driver was new to the system and didn't know how to navigate! I had to pull up google maps on my phone and give her turn-by-turn directions to get to the dinner. I arrived late but casually late, like what Tom and I always TRY to do, but never accomplish (if you've ever hosted a dinner party for us and others, you know we're always the first ones there). Check out the swanky common areas of some of the residents from the program
I was tired out by 9 pm and decided to head out a little earlier than everyone else to get some extra rest, but once again my uber driver led us on a wild goose chase and a drive that should have been 25 minutes ended up being 45! At the very least though, I had requested an "uber pool" (like carpool for uber) so that generates a flat rate based on your destination so I wasn't charged for the extra time I spent in the car! When all was said and done I once again felt tired before the interview (and now that I'm nearly done with the interview trail I can tell you that there's never been an interview except maybe my home one where I wasn't tired on the morning of the interview no matter how much I slept!)
I got myself some dinner since I had over 3 hours to kill in the airport....the program said I'd be done by 4 pm, but I was done at 1! It was nice to end early but I felt a little gipped by the program because my flight was scheduled to get me into Pittsburgh at 8 PM such that I was going to miss the pre-interview dinner. Now, despite what it might sound like, I wasn't bummed to be missing out on the free food (well, maybe a little) but I was bummed to miss out on the chance to interact with the residents in an informal setting. It lets me see where they live, what their commute is like, what they are like as people, etc. Alas, airport pasta was my experience instead
I arrived in Pittsburgh without a hitch and even caught the bus RIGHT on time so I didn't have to wait another half hour for the next one. I'll let you know about my time in Pittsburgh in my next post, but right now I'm off to prep for the pre-interview stuff at Mayo! Wish me luck :)
After spending a lovely evening with my hosts Gail and Ken Kramer in the suburbs of Chicago, I joined up with a family friend of the Kramer's named Georgia. She treated me to brunch at this adorable Sweet Maple Cafe. I did a terrible job photographing it, but if you want some soulful breakfast food, this is the place!
She dropped me off at her niece's chic loft apartment that used to be an old vegetable market back in the day. It was converted to a lovely living space and my home for the night.
Once I got settled, I had time to go and do a little exploring before the interview dinner, and I had to hit all the highlights of the touristy spots. Things I learned about Chicago while I was there:
- It's windy and cold, just like I thought it would be
- The city is much more inviting and "cool" than I thought it would be
- If you want food, of ANY kind, Chicago is for you
- Uber isn't nearly as reliable here than in other cities (maybe it's growing or just starting up?)
- When traveling to chicago in December, be sure to bring gloves, scarve and a hat!
- It's not called the windy city because of literal wind, but because of leaders of the city (perhaps the first mayor?) was long winded....but fact check me on that one, that's just what I was told by a local.
In milleneum park, the home of "the bean" had these great faces fountains lit up all along the main walk way
The juxtaposition of the rink, the climbing wall and the city skyline was so unique to see. Then I wandered throug h what seems to be the most fun and entertaining children's playground I've ever been on (and enjoyed as an adult!). These winding paths reminded me of something out of Dr. Seuss
I joined some of the other applicants in a large uber pool (which was almost fully successful without any hitches) to the airport
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