Wed - 7.20.2011

Virgin America

Flight 810

Los Angeles, CA / LAX 5.55 PM

Chicago, IL / ORD 11.45 PM

My adventure in Chicago was an amazing experience. It was my first independent exploration to a city I had never been to -- and it was wonderful. It was also nice to be able to spend some time with my cousin who I seldom see and my friend from college while I was there.

Chicago is definitely a place to get inspired. I was so amazed at everything. It is such a beautiful city -- with plants in the color of lush green and gardens in the middle of the city. Rivers, lakes, parks, gardens, boats, city life, fantastic food, 24/7 bars... what more can you ask for! This is the reason why I fell in love with Chicago. So many architecture inspirations, art, design... anything a passionate individual would be inspired by. Everything surrounding Chicago is so full of life and excitement. It was nice to meet many young professionals who have also been inspired by this town.

The city life hustles and bustles in the daytime throughout the night. Even the bars open 'til 4 AM! Some open 24/7. It's unheard of in LA for sure. There are so many things to do in Chicago, you'll just never find yourself sitting at home doing nothing. At least I won't be the one, unless of course, if I had a long week at work and just want to relax. I have to say, since I moved from San Francisco to the suburbs of LA, I do miss the freedom to get from one place to another by foot. Whether it be during the day or night, it's nice to get a breath of fresh air knowing that you're not the only one on the street. It's a great feeling to be outdoors when everything isn't so far away.

The second day of my trip, I planned out a day-to-day things to do for the rest of my stay. Talk about organization! I wanted to make the most out of my trip. I was so enthusiastic about it, I didn't want to miss anything. I did about 90% of the exploration by myself and covered a whole lot. My cousin gave me a map, and surprisingly I figured out how to get around the city pretty quickly. It was awesome. Not to mention, there are so many friendly people there who kindly guided me when I wasn't sure where I was going. I did a total of approximately 50 miles of walking or something in the course of the trip -- at least it felt like it! I took the train on some parts, but did a lot of walking in the Chicago hot and humid weather. I walked around with a map on my hand, a tote bag full of brochures, and a camera on my shoulder. Yes, you can literally spot me as a tourist there because I just didn't seem to see anyone else walking around with a map! I did try to look for at least one, but had no luck. So, I simply put that thought aside and continued to walk.

My experience of traveling by myself is I got to explore without limit. The only limit was my energy -- because I was only responsible for myself. I love to be independent when I can. It was quite nice. I learned how to get around and get to know the areas. At times, I would stop in my tracks to talk to people and make new friends. You'll find many friendly people in the Mid West. And no, they're not being nice to eventually kidnap you. They are just good-natured people, which is why I love the environment.

I did not regret one bit about this trip. It has been amazing. The only downside is I got a skin allergic reaction from something I have never gotten before towards the half-end of my trip. Still couldn't figure out what the culprit is. The only thing I could pinpoint was waking up with little bumps around my legs and arms. Detergent? But anyways, let's not go there any further. I'm suppose to be talking about my awesome trip here! It was incredible and wouldn't have done it any other way!