Bryan W. Alaspa 1Remembering the city you live in
July 13th 2009 13:49
It’s just one of those things and you know what it is. You do it too no matter where you live. You could live in one of the greatest cities in the world, such as Chicago, but you just get used to being there every day. You just focus on getting from home to work and then back again and you don’t spend much time worrying about the opera house or the skyscrapers or the architecture. You just live in a place and live your life and don’t worry about things like that. Then, suddenly, a friend comes in from out of town and it serves to remind you what a great town it is.
That happened to me recently. I have lived in Chicago most of my life and I know what a great city it is. I would put Chicago up against any city from Paris to San Francisco and anywhere in between. I know it has some of the greatest restaurants in the world. In fact, I think it has the greatest restaurants anywhere. I know we have some of the coolest buildings and a great orchestra and that Millennium Park is awesome. I know all of that, but it’s not like I spend that much time with any of those things on a daily basis.
However, a friend of mine came into town from Switzerland. She met up with another friend from college and a whole bunch of other friends came in from out of town and we all kind of met up this weekend and checked out Chicago. It had been over ten years since I had seen some of these people, and some of them were brand new people I had never met. It wasn’t long before the cool factor disappears and you just get caught up in what a cool city this is.
The best part was getting on a speedboat called the Sea Dog and taking a trip down the Chicago River and looking at the various buildings. The tour guide was a guy named Mike and if you happen to take the Sea Dog, you want to end up on a trip with Mike. He’s very funny and very enthusiastic and he’ll make you forget the fact that the boat is rocking precipitously.
The finale of that tour is when the boat heads out into Lake Michigan and goes into full speedboat mode. There is nothing like being able to see the entire Chicago skyline whizzing past your field of vision off to your right from the Lake. It’s a view I haven’t seen before and it was pretty cool.
Downtown Chicago is big, but I found out that you can really walk the entire way. Sure my legs are screaming at me today, but that doesn’t matter. If you are able to do so, if you visit Chicago I suggest you just start walking. I think you should get a hotel downtown and just start walking around your hotel. You will find a great place to eat and a great place to hang out all around your hotel.
Chicago has problems, of course. What city doesn’t? Yes we have people digging up bodies and re-selling plots at local cemeteries. We have corrupt politicians and we have crime all over the place. However, this is also a city that has been a vital part of the history of the United States. The very first skyscrapers went up and came into existence here in Chicago. Chicago has been a vital part of this country from the time it was a fort and it continues to be such a thing.]\
Sometimes, however, it takes a visit from a friend from another country to help remind you of how great a place is. I’m thankful for it, even though my legs are screaming at me every time I stand up or site down. My legs prefer the more sedentary lifestyle.
That happened to me recently. I have lived in Chicago most of my life and I know what a great city it is. I would put Chicago up against any city from Paris to San Francisco and anywhere in between. I know it has some of the greatest restaurants in the world. In fact, I think it has the greatest restaurants anywhere. I know we have some of the coolest buildings and a great orchestra and that Millennium Park is awesome. I know all of that, but it’s not like I spend that much time with any of those things on a daily basis.
However, a friend of mine came into town from Switzerland. She met up with another friend from college and a whole bunch of other friends came in from out of town and we all kind of met up this weekend and checked out Chicago. It had been over ten years since I had seen some of these people, and some of them were brand new people I had never met. It wasn’t long before the cool factor disappears and you just get caught up in what a cool city this is.
The best part was getting on a speedboat called the Sea Dog and taking a trip down the Chicago River and looking at the various buildings. The tour guide was a guy named Mike and if you happen to take the Sea Dog, you want to end up on a trip with Mike. He’s very funny and very enthusiastic and he’ll make you forget the fact that the boat is rocking precipitously.
The finale of that tour is when the boat heads out into Lake Michigan and goes into full speedboat mode. There is nothing like being able to see the entire Chicago skyline whizzing past your field of vision off to your right from the Lake. It’s a view I haven’t seen before and it was pretty cool.
Downtown Chicago is big, but I found out that you can really walk the entire way. Sure my legs are screaming at me today, but that doesn’t matter. If you are able to do so, if you visit Chicago I suggest you just start walking. I think you should get a hotel downtown and just start walking around your hotel. You will find a great place to eat and a great place to hang out all around your hotel.
Chicago has problems, of course. What city doesn’t? Yes we have people digging up bodies and re-selling plots at local cemeteries. We have corrupt politicians and we have crime all over the place. However, this is also a city that has been a vital part of the history of the United States. The very first skyscrapers went up and came into existence here in Chicago. Chicago has been a vital part of this country from the time it was a fort and it continues to be such a thing.]\
Sometimes, however, it takes a visit from a friend from another country to help remind you of how great a place is. I’m thankful for it, even though my legs are screaming at me every time I stand up or site down. My legs prefer the more sedentary lifestyle.
| 21 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
