Chicago Trip Day 1
Nov. 11th, 2017 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
days_unfoldingI'm back from Chicago.
On Friday, I overslept an hour, but still was on track to get to the train station at 10:00 for a 10:30 train. Then I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:00. I hung out here for a while. Zara got some cuddle time in my lap. Then I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:30. I went to the station at 10:30 in case that the train made up some time.
It was cold. Very cold. The coldest day of the year. My toes kept on getting numb. A train came at 11, but it was the train before the train that I was going to catch. I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:45. Then my phone died. The train finally got there around noon.
I slept most of the way to Chicago. When I got there, I spent some time confused about how to get out of Union Station. I was looking for a bus stop, and found one for my bus. One bus passed me, but then I got on.
My bump of direction, which is more like a mosquito bite in Chicago, said that something was wrong. The bus stopped at the end of the line, and the driver asked where I was going. I told him, and he said that I went the wrong way. He said that there was a bus that would get to my destination faster than he would, and he talked to the driver of the other bus and told him not to charge me, which was very nice. I rode the bus the right way and got off at the right stop.
Did I mention that it had snowed in Chicago that morning? I was picking my way through ice and snow, with a bag on my shoulder and a wheeled suitcase trailing behind me. Also, many of the streets didn't have signs, so I had to guess where to turn. I did make it to the Airbnb though. After some hassling with the gate, and the two keypads to get in, I made it to my room.
I dropped my stuff off, and sent a message toravengirl, whom I was meeting for dinner, telling her that I was leaving. I had some problems getting out of the house because of the keypad locks; I was wondering if it was the Hotel California. I went off in search of the "L" (elevated train). The L stop was a lot farther than I expected. Finally, I found it and got on the train to the "Loop" (downtown Chicago).
I followed Google Maps' directions scrupulously this time, but something seemed off. I was going in the wrong direction. I turned around, and eventually got to the restaurant.
ravengirl was there already. We had a nice visit and good food. We walked around a little, and then walked over to the L. I got on my train, and then she went to hers.
The walk to the Airbnb from the L seemed shorter this time because I knew what to expect. I got back to the Airbnb, spent a little while winding down, and went to sleep.
On Friday, I overslept an hour, but still was on track to get to the train station at 10:00 for a 10:30 train. Then I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:00. I hung out here for a while. Zara got some cuddle time in my lap. Then I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:30. I went to the station at 10:30 in case that the train made up some time.
It was cold. Very cold. The coldest day of the year. My toes kept on getting numb. A train came at 11, but it was the train before the train that I was going to catch. I received a text that the train was delayed until 11:45. Then my phone died. The train finally got there around noon.
I slept most of the way to Chicago. When I got there, I spent some time confused about how to get out of Union Station. I was looking for a bus stop, and found one for my bus. One bus passed me, but then I got on.
My bump of direction, which is more like a mosquito bite in Chicago, said that something was wrong. The bus stopped at the end of the line, and the driver asked where I was going. I told him, and he said that I went the wrong way. He said that there was a bus that would get to my destination faster than he would, and he talked to the driver of the other bus and told him not to charge me, which was very nice. I rode the bus the right way and got off at the right stop.
Did I mention that it had snowed in Chicago that morning? I was picking my way through ice and snow, with a bag on my shoulder and a wheeled suitcase trailing behind me. Also, many of the streets didn't have signs, so I had to guess where to turn. I did make it to the Airbnb though. After some hassling with the gate, and the two keypads to get in, I made it to my room.
I dropped my stuff off, and sent a message to
ravengirl, whom I was meeting for dinner, telling her that I was leaving. I had some problems getting out of the house because of the keypad locks; I was wondering if it was the Hotel California. I went off in search of the "L" (elevated train). The L stop was a lot farther than I expected. Finally, I found it and got on the train to the "Loop" (downtown Chicago). I followed Google Maps' directions scrupulously this time, but something seemed off. I was going in the wrong direction. I turned around, and eventually got to the restaurant.
ravengirl was there already. We had a nice visit and good food. We walked around a little, and then walked over to the L. I got on my train, and then she went to hers.The walk to the Airbnb from the L seemed shorter this time because I knew what to expect. I got back to the Airbnb, spent a little while winding down, and went to sleep.
