It was spring of 2015 and I was looking forward to the vacation I would be taking with my family. The thing is, I had no idea where we were going. There were talks of various locations (all of which I had visited in past years), but that did not diminish my excitement in the slightest. One evening over dinner, my parents elected to tell me that we would be taking a trip to the big city of Chicago. I admittedly could not contain my excitement. This was only the beginning. They continued to tell me that we would be seeing not one, but TWO Cubs games in which the Indians would visit Wrigley Field; the iconic and historical Wrigley Field. This meant that I, too would be visiting Wrigley Field. I knew before I even began the trip to Chicago that this would be a "kid in a candy store" kind of scenario. Some of my relatives were big fans of both the Indians and the Cubs, so this trip was long over due. In mid June, we packed up the car and headed towards the Windy City.
We are only a handful of miles away and all I can see in the distance are these massive skyscrapers. Already, this is a city that looks like it could swallow our city whole (no offense, Cleveland). This beautiful sight was briefly placed on hold when we entered what I like to call the "black hole of highway traffic". Six-lane traffic was the chaotic element that greeted us at the outskirts and it was quite the animal. Navigating unknown territories can be challenging enough without adding in the local commuters. Once surpassing the mess, an absolute beauty was uncovered. There are many movies that depict Chicago as this incredible city, and that does not even do it justice. I was beyond impressed. It seemed like the tall buildings, intricate artwork, and foot traffic were endless. Granted, the regular traffic also seemed to never cease, and so we knew that driving to and from Chicago would be the only driving we did for the entire trip.
We immediately began to explore all that we could, knowing that there was a lot to cover. I hate to be cliche, but there was so much to do and so little time. We got on a bus that took us to all of the major landmarks on the north side of Chicago (primarily downtown). This served as both a luxury for tourists like ourselves, as well as an excellent means of transportation. There was a certain euphoria that set in and stayed with me for the entire trip. It was frustrating at times, because we were lost in a major city with major curiosity of what to do next. I did not mind, because I was simply taking it all in.
After spending awhile there, it was time to go to a ballgame. The Indians were playing in just a few hours and so my family and I were heading to Wrigley Field. We moved through Old Chicago for quite some time before being caught in the rain. We were greeted at the gates with a sign that said "Today's game canceled". Needless to say I was devastated. Luckily to our realization, the Blackhawks had just won the Stanley Cup. Remember how downtown Cleveland was when the Cavaliers won the Finals? Well that was what Chicago looked like, and that helped us to forget about the lackluster weather conditions persisted for the evening.
A new day warranted much better weather and we were able to make it to Wrigley Field. Walking into the stadium, I quickly noticed the older structure of the ballpark. For those of you who do not know, Wrigley Field is one of the oldest ballparks in the majors. I took notice of everything that set this ballpark apart from our very own. It was not flashy, and certainly was not very modern, but it was amazing. There were so many aspects of this park that showed roots from baseball many years ago. The Indians lost, but being able to say that I saw them play at Wrigley was worth it, hands down.
On our way home from Chicago, we knew that we only saw one of the two games that we intended to see. The make-up game was at the end of the summer, and my parents were convinced that a second trip was necessary. I knew I would be back, but I did not think it would be that soon. The second trip allowed us to take more of the city in. Only this time we had some bearings. That still did not stop us from getting lost. Although, as I mentioned before, getting lost in a beautiful city like that gave us the opportunity and challenge to see even more.
Last summer, my girlfriend Lindsay and I decided to plan our first big trip together, and I am sure you can guess where we decided to go. Only this time, I did not have my parents there to help navigate the six-lane animal. After the frustration of getting into the city, we were able to enjoy our time in the city that I knew I had not yet had enough of. In fact, I am not sure I could ever have enough Chicago in my life. Seeing such an amazing place even made our relationship stronger. We came to realize just how much we love to travel and explore together. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to venture there, I can assure you that it is well worth it. I can promise you I will make it back to the Windy City.
"Chicago, Chicago. That toddlin' town"
-Frank Sinatra
