Chicago is a very cool city. there's so much to see and do, tons of good restaurants, good shopping, great architecture, and good museums. the weather's a little unpredictable, so you have to be prepared for anything. we went for a walk one day, and it was about 75 degrees. within one hour it dropped down to 50. fortunately, everything you need is within walking distance, because driving in the city is insane. i could only take a week of that shit. in la, you have to be a defensive driver, in chicago you have to be on the offense. i don't think i drove over 30mph all week because there was so much traffic, and i can't even count how many times i got cut off. i was sitting at a red light waiting for it to change, and some idiot pulled around from behind me and tried to cut me off. i started out with patience, and ended up ready to leave the car at the side of the freeway and walk to the airport. despite the aggressive drivers, the people are surprisingly friendly. enrique asked some old guy for directions, and he said "i'll walk you there." enrique said that wasn't necessary, and the guy said "what, are you denying my company?" and proceeded to engage in conversation as they walked to their destination. everywhere we went, it was really easy to interact with people, which gave the city a really cool vibe.

but i am glad to be back home. i'm more comfortable on the border between the city and the suburbs where the sun is shining all the time, and i can drive 80 on the freeways. yesterday i changed lanes in front of someone and they flashed their headlights at me. i thought that was kinda cute. it made me laugh.



cool architecture










the artist calls it the cloud. the locals call it the bean.


the beaner and the bean


the beans bellybutton. (under the bean)




holding Chicago together


the john hancock tower from the bottom


john hancock tower from the top




view from the bathroom


sunset from the plane