The Windy City
Last weekend I got to fly to Chicago to visit my college friends Jenny and Sarah. After we all graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University some undisclosed number of years ago, they decided they wanted to live in Chicago, so they moved there together and found jobs, and they've been there ever since.
I've been thinking about making the trip for a while. I hadn't been there since right after Harvey and I returned from Mozambique seven years ago. Since then, Sarah's bought a home and Jenny's gotten married and had two children, one of whom I hadn't met yet. Other than a couple mission trips, I'd never traveled away from the family on my own, and I was excited about the possibility of a girls' weekend. So I decided a couple months ago to ask Harvey about it and get the ball rolling. He agreed, so I checked with Jenny and Sarah on dates, and we settled on November 7-10.
These fall months have been busy for us, with activities, parties, and friends staying in our house. So maybe it would have been wiser to wait until spring. But fall is my favorite time of year, and there was something appealing to me about doing this trip in the fall, with the leaves changing and the air chilly. I'm glad I didn't wait; Chicago in the fall was perfect.
That's the simplest word to describe everything about my trip: perfect. I was delighted to spend time with Jenny and Sarah, from the moment the two of them met me at the airport to the moment Sarah dropped me off to travel home. I lived with both of them in college, but even though the two of them have been friends since childhood, Sarah was always my roommate, and being in her cozy condo felt just like old times--sharing a kitchen and a bathroom and having coffee together and staying up late to talk.
It was a weekend of talking, laughing, dining, shopping, pampering, and worshiping. I arrived on Thursday night, and Sarah was off work on Friday, so she got to spend the day with me. Jenny had to stay home with her kids Friday while her husband, Patrick, worked, so she didn't join up with us until Friday night.
The first order of business Friday was facials. Sarah had made an appointment for us to get them together, compliments of her and Jenny. Before we headed to the spa, she took me on a walk through Wicker Park, just blocks away from her Bucktown loft (in a converted building that used to be a screen-printing factory). She showed me the beautiful old mansions of the German immigrants who made their money brewing beer.
We ate a delicious Mediterranean lunch at Sultan's Market, a meal I would never get to eat with my family--certain members shy away from falafel. Then we had our facials; afterward we browsed a few Bucktown boutiques, including Marc Jacobs, BCBG Max Azria, and the colorful, playful, and curiously 80's-California (lots of pastels, sunflowers, spandex) American Apparel. We headed back to Sarah's place to get ready to meet Jenny for dinner.
Coast Sushi was our dinner destination. As we sat in the lobby waiting for our table, I noticed that people were holding bottles of wine and six-packs of beer. Sarah told me that it's not uncommon in Chicago for restaurants not to have a liquor license, so they're BYOB. I hadn't encountered that in Oklahoma or DC. For the first time I ate sushi with raw fish, and it was great. We ordered six different rolls and shared them all. For dessert we ate mochi ice cream, such a treat!
Patrick was kind enough to hold down the fort so Jenny could spend Friday night with us at Sarah's. We stayed up late again catching up; the next morning we headed to the Bongo Room for brunch before our shopping excursion. The wait was about an hour, so we went to the thrift shop next door to pass the time. It was a treasure trove! I think we all bought a few things before we walked back to the Bongo Room just in time for our table. We feasted on BLT Benedict, Bananamisu Pancakes, and Cranberry Cinnamon Apple Brioche French Toast.
Now we were energized for the rest of our shopping. Jenny was looking for some boots; Sarah and I were just looking for bargains. They took me to John Fluevog, a wonderland of unique, playful shoes (it appears there is also a location in DC), among other shoe stores and thrift and vintage shops. I think for the first time I saw in person clothing made by Chanel, Dolce and Gabanna, and Gucci. Still pricey fifty years later! Very interesting though.
Saturday evening we got to see Jenny and Patrick's new house, which they are renovating and plan to move into in the spring. It's a beautiful historic Craftsman on a lovely street in Lincoln Square, with a built-in jungle-gym and play house, perfect for their family. Then we went to their apartment a few blocks away and enjoyed a yummy dinner of pozole and guacamole (made by Patrick) and tamales. Jenny had made pumpkin pie for dessert. I enjoyed spending time with her sweet, clever, delightful children, Desmond (3) and Meara (1).
The next morning I got to visit Jenny and Patrick and Sarah's church, Covenant Presbyterian, which is housed in a cathedral built in the 1920s-1930s. It was a lovely service, and it was a blessing to worship there alongside my dear friends. After church Sarah took me back to the airport for my journey home.
I'm sure to many people my weekend sounds like a complete bore. No museums, no events, no famous sights. But as I mentioned, for me it couldn't have been more perfect. I had a break from my everyday life of parenting and homemaking (which I love and wouldn't trade) and an opportunity to soak up the treasured company of old friends, two of the smartest, most creative, and most thoughtful people I know. (Sarah is an artist and animal-lover; Jenny is a writer.) I got to take some time for myself and reflect on the goodness and generosity of God in giving me such amazing friends and memories and allowing me to enjoy such a great city with all its distinct flavor and culture. In some ways it reminds me of the city where I live now, but it has its own history and personality that are unlike any other. And it has Jenny and Sarah--and for me that's what made it perfect.
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| With Sarah at Jenny's wedding in May 2008 |
These fall months have been busy for us, with activities, parties, and friends staying in our house. So maybe it would have been wiser to wait until spring. But fall is my favorite time of year, and there was something appealing to me about doing this trip in the fall, with the leaves changing and the air chilly. I'm glad I didn't wait; Chicago in the fall was perfect.
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| View from Sarah's balcony |
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| Sarah's awesome loft |
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| Sarah's kitchen: lots of coffee brewed and consumed here (Can you spot the Keurig?) |
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| Sarah's bedroom, on loan to me for the weekend |
The first order of business Friday was facials. Sarah had made an appointment for us to get them together, compliments of her and Jenny. Before we headed to the spa, she took me on a walk through Wicker Park, just blocks away from her Bucktown loft (in a converted building that used to be a screen-printing factory). She showed me the beautiful old mansions of the German immigrants who made their money brewing beer.
We ate a delicious Mediterranean lunch at Sultan's Market, a meal I would never get to eat with my family--certain members shy away from falafel. Then we had our facials; afterward we browsed a few Bucktown boutiques, including Marc Jacobs, BCBG Max Azria, and the colorful, playful, and curiously 80's-California (lots of pastels, sunflowers, spandex) American Apparel. We headed back to Sarah's place to get ready to meet Jenny for dinner.
Coast Sushi was our dinner destination. As we sat in the lobby waiting for our table, I noticed that people were holding bottles of wine and six-packs of beer. Sarah told me that it's not uncommon in Chicago for restaurants not to have a liquor license, so they're BYOB. I hadn't encountered that in Oklahoma or DC. For the first time I ate sushi with raw fish, and it was great. We ordered six different rolls and shared them all. For dessert we ate mochi ice cream, such a treat!
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| With Jenny, our bellies full of sushi, at our table at Coast |
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| The three amigas |
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| The Bongo Room: worth the wait |
Saturday evening we got to see Jenny and Patrick's new house, which they are renovating and plan to move into in the spring. It's a beautiful historic Craftsman on a lovely street in Lincoln Square, with a built-in jungle-gym and play house, perfect for their family. Then we went to their apartment a few blocks away and enjoyed a yummy dinner of pozole and guacamole (made by Patrick) and tamales. Jenny had made pumpkin pie for dessert. I enjoyed spending time with her sweet, clever, delightful children, Desmond (3) and Meara (1).
The next morning I got to visit Jenny and Patrick and Sarah's church, Covenant Presbyterian, which is housed in a cathedral built in the 1920s-1930s. It was a lovely service, and it was a blessing to worship there alongside my dear friends. After church Sarah took me back to the airport for my journey home.
I'm sure to many people my weekend sounds like a complete bore. No museums, no events, no famous sights. But as I mentioned, for me it couldn't have been more perfect. I had a break from my everyday life of parenting and homemaking (which I love and wouldn't trade) and an opportunity to soak up the treasured company of old friends, two of the smartest, most creative, and most thoughtful people I know. (Sarah is an artist and animal-lover; Jenny is a writer.) I got to take some time for myself and reflect on the goodness and generosity of God in giving me such amazing friends and memories and allowing me to enjoy such a great city with all its distinct flavor and culture. In some ways it reminds me of the city where I live now, but it has its own history and personality that are unlike any other. And it has Jenny and Sarah--and for me that's what made it perfect.
Just re-read this. Great weekend!! Let's do it again. :)
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