In the comments RzDrms asked for details on our recent trip to Chicago. I'm bad about writing about the trips we take - while we're on the trip I don't want to take time to write, and when we get back trying to summarize the trip is completely overwhelming. For that reason I still haven't written much about our trip in May to the Pacific Northwest. (That and the fact that we haven't even gone through all the photos yet...gah!) But I do like documenting our travels, for our own sake, so I appreciate the request!

A couple weeks ago we went to Chicago with Rob's team from work and their significant others. This was a fun trip, a reward for working their asses off (and also ostensibly an opportunity for "team-building"). The cool thing about Rob's team is that they're all friends and so spending four days with co-workers was not hell on earth but actually a pretty rockin' time.

The team-building began the first evening when our group of 14 tried to choose food from a family-style menu. For the record, certain foods are polarizing issues. Forget immigration or abortion. You want to get a group riled up? Suggest a salad with bleu cheese and olives. I'm just saying. Add to that the food allergies, diets, and general dislikes, and choosing appetizers and entrées to share becomes quite a task. Being a spouse and not a co-worker, I had decided to sit back and let them figure it out. Twenty minutes later, I found myself placing the order with the waiter because I had emerged as the one in charge. That should tell you a lot about me.

We did lots of cool things, skipping the touristy stuff since most of us had been to Chicago before. A few highlights...

Whirlyball.
Yeah, we'd never heard of this either. Think lacrosse in bumper cars on a basketball court. Our Chicago friend suggested it, and it is freaking awesome. That means a lot coming from me, since I don't like fun and all. But this was a blast! And I actually scored a goal!

Second City.
This comedy troupe is one of the "farm leagues" for Saturday Night Live. Lots of famous people got their start here. The show was hilarious, especially when they were doing improv.

Limo ride.
We rented a limo one night for a pub crawl. I had never been in a limo before. It wasn't really what I expected, but then I didn't really know what to expect. The truth is, being in the limo made me feel kinda cheap. This might be because I was with a large group and so it felt high school prom tacky or something. Of course, Rob and I rode in the make-out annex in the back, so it basically was like high school prom. One of my favorite moments of the evening came when we pulled up to a bar, the driver came around to open the door, and the first person out emerged from the limo and then turned around, laughing, and said, "Everyone in the bar was just watching to see who was in the limo, and the door opened...and it was ME!" She's a hoot, and I'm sure she totally owned it. I couldn't actually see her given that I was hastily putting my clothes back on.

Marathon.
The weather on this trip was warmer than when we were there last June. Which was awesome for us, but not so awesome for the marathon. Rob and I watched a little of it on Sunday morning, before the temperatures rose to dangerous levels and they called off the race. It's an amazing thing to see. Reminded me of the time we saw the Gay Pride Parade in New York, actually. All these people moving down the street with a huge crowd of loved ones and strangers yelling encouragement to them, proud of who they are or what they're doing. It's very emotional. You can't help but cheer along and even tear up a little.

Second time around, I still really love this city.

In keeping with the metaphor of cities as lovers, Chicago is the one who, after just a few dates, has serious potential to be my lifelong love. I will always have a passion for New York, but the place is too big for me to wrap myself around. Chicago has diversity and energy and opportunities but on a more convenient scale. I felt I could really get to know Chicago - all its nooks and crannies. In Chicago there is great shopping, fantastic parks and green space, a beautiful waterfront, and a variety of cultural events I was actually interested in. And the city was friendly to visitors but, unlike San Francisco, didn't give me the impression that it had no purpose other than to be an amusement park.

Never has a city caused me to laugh in delight so many times. Like when, near the art institute, I saw a table of chess boards set up on the sidewalk, encouraging people to play, for free, with friends or strangers. And when I watched the chimps do somersaults at Lincoln Park Zoo. And when I discovered the Lily Pool (which is where my new masthead photo was taken). And when I gazed into the city's reflection at Cloud Gate.

Of course, the city's major flaw, which I did not experience, is the freaking COLD. I wouldn't survive one winter. And so, sadly, Chicago and I aren't quite a match made in heaven. But, in all other ways, Chicago is doing everything right to woo me.

Click on photo to view the entire collection.

My 26th birthday was one of the best birthdays I've had, which may be surprising once you hear that I spent almost the entire day alone. Rob was at the conference the whole day. When he woke up, he snuggled up to me and told me happy birthday. Then he left and I went back to sleep and didn't see him again until late that night.

But I had a great day. First, I ordered room service for a birthday breakfast in bed.

(Note the bacon. A birthday is not a proper birthday without bacon.)

Then I headed into downtown Chicago where I spent the afternoon shopping my way down Michigan Avenue. I had late afternoon tea at the historic Drake Hotel. There was a harpist and it was quite lovely. And then I spent the evening at the Chicago Art Institute, where I took two really interesting tour/talks and then roamed about among my favorite collections: Impressionism, Japanese, and Photography.

This Monet painting gave me pause, and not just because it's one of my favorites. I've actually been there - to Giverny, to Monet's waterlily garden. And as I stood looking at this painting and thinking about the actual place, I realized that I had been there exactly a decade ago. I celebrated my 16th birthday in Madrid, on a high school trip, and just a handful of days later we went to see Giverny. Gazing at Monet's Japanese bridge, which 10 years ago I stood upon, I felt I'd come full circle in a way.

Birthday girl

I guess we do look at history, and especially our own personal histories, almost as paintings. Moments are captured and frozen and yet still contain precise detail and vivid color. The mind becomes a museum of memories, each wing representing a different era of life. And we're adding to the collections all the time.

Eventually I left the art gallery and wandered around the city taking photographs. I swear I could do that all day long. I love to observe and I think there is such beauty in the way a city is a living being. I hung around downtown until the sun set and all the lights began to glow, and then I hopped on the train to head back to the hotel.

I had told Rob I'd be back by 9:00, but I'd happily lost track of time in the art museum. Rob called my cell at 10:00, when he returned after his last session to an empty hotel room.

"Hey," I said.

"Kelly? Oh, thank god. I was worried."

The relief in his voice was palpable. And it's hard to explain why, but I found this touching. It's nice to be reminded that I mean the world to someone. And the hint of fear, and the subsequent relief, in Rob's voice said that better than any Hallmark card could.

Finally I arrived back to our hotel room. We snacked on wine and cheese and told each other all about the day. And then we went to bed.

Rob's conference ended on Sunday and that evening we finally got to celebrate my birthday together. We had dinner in The Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Center. It was a fantastic meal with a stunning view overlooking the city. And then we took a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan.

All in all, a fabulous start to my 27th year on this planet.