Chicago Chronicles

Reposting a couple of entries onto this blog because I like them. Probably won't transfer all of them, 4 years of embarrassing posts shouldn't have to be shown twice. But some I still like. These are two separate posts about my two trips to Chicago.

Pt. 1 February 16th, 2026

Sadly I haven't updated this blog much. Giving myself time to indulge in other creative liberties. Working tirelessly on kdenlive making anonymous tiktok edits just for my own enjoyment. Learning to operate a film camera for the first time. It's a Canon Sureshot Zoom XL and it's huge and clonky and comes with a little remote. Writing in my journal everyday. Reading comics. Being okay with letting time pass. I turned 26 yesterday. I'm looking in the mirror and I'm thinking, "do I look 26?" I don't feel 26. I mean, I'm definitely out of shape. I can't get away with eating pounds of junk food in one sitting because my stomach will start to hurt. After an afternoon of walking I get debilitating leg cramps. I still like the same things. Seriously. I like the same things that I did like 10 years ago. I have to lather myself in Retinol every night. I don't like to think about it. I'm still clueless. Everyone is asking me what I'm doing and I don't know. People are saying I'm running out of time and other people are saying I'm still young. Which is it? I just got over a cold. 

I went to Chicago and I'm missing it already. The look of the city as I sit in the upper floor of the Metra. I peer into people's apartments, their windows open, like they want you to see. I see their TV flashes and bedroom setup and toys on the floor. What kind of life do they lead? I woke up in the middle of the night in my hotel room and it was snowing. It snowed the whole time. I was cold but I didn't think much of it. Just, go, go, go. You'll be inside soon. I didn't see one Cybertruck. A lot of Prius's, which was funny. I had the best hot chocolate I've ever had in a small cafe that I randomly searched on Google. It had a dollop of whip cream that looked like butter. I shared a caramel apple french toast with my boyfriend, our table suffocatingly close to other people while they talked about their own things. We looked at apartments on Zillow and realized how viable it could be to live here. We visited a museum that was three floors high and every floor was packed to the brim. Taxidermy animals and fake plants and animatronic bugs. We got so tired we didn't even finish touring the whole thing. We ran out of time. We're already planning to go back. Probably in the summer, or when the leaves start to turn. Maybe tour apartments for real. 

Pt. 2 June 25th, 2026

Got back from another Chicago trip. This time we embarked on a week-long adventure, full of plans that mostly fell through or did happen but had to be in the most insane way possible. I swear, there is something about me that I attract trouble, like the universe is testing on how well I can handle certain situations. I am never able to take a trip and everything runs smoothly. I guess that life doesn't work that way. I hate that! I'm considering therapy but without insurance it's 40$ per session. Guess that leaves me writing my feelings down as my healthiest outlet and many nights screaming into my pillow. This makes it sound like I hated the trip. Not at all. 

We wanted to take this trip as a way to scope out the neighborhood or area we wanted to live in. It led us to discovering cute little markets and independent coffee shops. We stopped by the pier on a warm summer evening and watched the water from concrete steps after engorging on Jimmy Buffet's margaritas and chicken tenders. I had a giant Nova Lox bagel platter served to me by a sweet woman with a heavy Wisconsin accent. We traveled by Metra an hour to Milwaukee and visited their public market, where I had the best Reuben sandwich I've ever had, beef melting off like egg yolks and the guy who worked at the bar told us he was from Florida too. He asked us, "Are you guys locals or travelers?" And the idea of someone thinking of me as a local to the area was all too enticing a thought.  We got lost a whole hour and only had time to watch the lake before we had to hop back on the train. 

I was craving coffee and I searched up the nearest coffee shop without thinking too much of it, and as I noticed the odd imagery outside, I realized I made a grave mistake. Probably should have figured from the AIgenerated artwork and the plastered coloring images of various cartoon characters smoking weed that I was in a place that a nerd like me did not belong it. The baristas weren't nice, but also not mean, probably wondering what the fuck I was doing there. I got their white mocha latte (not infused, but not I'm wondering if I should gotten it that way) and despite my former qualms it was the best damn iced coffee I had in the city. 

The hotel we stayed at had it's own kitchen, which is what I wanted. A great way to play house in a city that I desperately want to belong to. We'd take trips to the Trader Joes a couple blocks away, buying quick meals like pasta and cheese danishes and now I get why so many people go there, walking around with their giant Trader Joe's branded tote bags like medals of honor. They run that shit like the navy and now I want one of those tote bags too. Our hotel was right next to the Starbucks Roastery, a place that many travel blogs recommended over and over to the point that it was annoying. I was vehemently against the idea of going but I mean, it was right next to us. We woke up extremely early to skip the crowds, ended up sharing the place with a 20 person team of teenagers, all in comfy jerseys for a sport that I didn't know. I had the ube iced latte and a pretty butterfly matcha cake. It was good, the view was better. 

Things in the city are happening. Always, everywhere. I'm exhausted when I get home and I loved it. I was here, I was alive. I'm back home now and it's so..... boring.