See More Love: Goodnight Chicago!

Chicago was a brilliant pit stop. So fun! We had a day FULL to the brim with exploration. We started at the Art Institute o Chicago where my mom was in heaven. We found her favorite artists, and she was so giddy - like a kid in a candy store! The exhibits were pretty fantastic, my favorite being miniature rooms fashioned after 18th century European homes.

After that , we jumped on a double decker bus for a tour of the city. I don't usually do touristy things like this (I usually hop on the wrong subways, spend half my day looking at maps, and accidentally spend $20 on a ticket that costs $2), but I loved it! It was so nice to just be able to sit and enjoy the scenery, an be dropped at any stop we wanted to explore.

We were very impressed with all the beautiful architecture, beautiful old buildings in the shadow of modern humongous ones. Some of our favorite parts were the bean (an awesome reflective kidney bean that reflected the skyline), the Navy Pier, and the city lit up at night. In the evening when all the lights turned on an the city came to life, it was pretty fantastical. My mom rode on her first subway - we took the wron train, almost got the doors closed on us, and were sitting next to a belligerent drunk guy, but she never complained.

This morning on our way out o Chicago, we stopped in to have breakfast with my great aunt Anita. She was so sweet! We sat over coffee an talked about family, travel, and the adorable story of how she and my uncle Gerome met. As we said good-bye, she stood in her garden and blew us a kiss.

I have absolutely loved this part of my trip, finding family everywhere - connecting, sharing food, sharing stories, and always feeling the love.

My favorite piece in the museum