Chicago

I guess I failed to mention that I quit my job a few weeks ago and will be traveling the country before I travel the world. We just got back from Chicago and it was amazing! I recommend this city to anyone who is trying to see one of America's large cities on a budget. Don't get me wrong...we did drop some money. However, transportation is easy on the train, which is cheap, and a lot of the food and alcohol was priced about the same as it is in Raleigh.

Kara and Ryan (two of my best friends in the world) and, Zach, Brianna and I spent 3 nights in a downtown hotel. On Friday, we checked out downtown. The city was surprisingly empty compared to the other huge cities I have been to. I was never overwhelmed by crowds of people. There were huge buildings everywhere but for some reason the city seemed to feel smaller that it actually is. It was very clean, and the people were polite and weren't moving as fast as they do in NYC. I think the architecture was the most amazing thing about the city. All of the buildings seem to complement each other very well. The Sears Tower was amazing and the view from the top is indescribable. There was a lot of public art throughout the city as well.

On Saturday we went to Wrigley Field and...well if you are a baseball fan all you need to know is that we saw a game at Wrigley. If you're not then just know this...it's the second oldest stadium in the US and it the best place to see a game. From the relatively cheap beer (Old Style is the official beer of the Cubs) to the fans climbing up the fences to get a better view, Wrigley is the perfect picture of old school baseball. There is room everywhere to stand and talk to the locals, and of course, there is the ivy that covers the outfield fence, and the amazing Chicago skyline behind one of the only hand operated score boards in the world. and THE CUBS WON!

On Sunday we went to Day 3 of Lollapalooza. Pearl Jam headlined the show and this was the finale and highlight of the trip. The show was at Grant Park, in downtown Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan. The park is beautiful and is a great place to see all of the music of Lollapalooza. We saw Amy Winehouse, Blue October, The Wailers, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, and Pearl Jam. The night ended with Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper and the rest of Pearl Jam performing Rockin' In the Free World while about 40 fellow performers and celebrities dancing on stage. At one point Eddie was atop Dennis Rodman's shoulders.

The trip was amazing...a great way to spend time with four of my favorite people right before I leave them all for a while. Some pictures are on here...the rest are on my Facebook page.