Memories from Chicago
It’s been exactly one year since I’ve visited Chicago and lately it’s been on my mind a lot (say anything about me, but not that I don’t write posts in a timely manner😂). As I’ve mentioned in my New York post, our trip to the USA had different itineraries over the years and in 2022 we had also planned to combine New York with Chicago. Why? I have no idea, I can’t remember. But while making the final itinerary, we’ve remembered about this and searched for Taylor Swift tickets there, since the ones in New York were ridiculously expensive. While we went for the concert initially, I fell in love with the city and I always remember it fondly. I largely blame my Chicago-melancholia on that viral song, End of Beginning.
When we spent a chill first day
We initially planned on getting to Chicago the day of the concert, but we’ve realized it would be better to arrive a day earlier, just in case there would be any unpredictable events. It turned out to be a great idea, as our flight was delayed and I would’ve been incredibly stressed out if it had been the day of the concert. Because of this change of plans, we had to find another accommodation for the first night and the only one we could find was a hostel in Lincoln Park district. We most likely wouldn’t have visited that part of town otherwise, but I loved it. As soon as we got off the uber from the airport, there was a calm feeling in the air and the street of the hostel was lovely and picturesque. Although nothing exceptional, we liked the hostel as well, as we were able to rest and do some laundry. We had even found two lovely cafes and one delicious Mexican restaurant, and in the morning, before switching accommodations, we wandered for a bit in Lincoln Park, along Lake Michigan.
When we went to The Eras Tour
As I’ve mentioned, our main reason for visiting Chicago was to go to see Taylor Swift at The Eras Tour. Despite being in New York when she had concerts there (and also unknowingly passing by her studio when she was there), it felt like just an usual day in the city. However, from the moment we landed in Chicago, it felt like the whole city was prepared for the concert, even the plane pilot made a cheeky concert-related announcement when we’ve landed. Walking around the city, it felt like everyone was there for the same reason as us, I’ve had multiple people compliment my Taylor Swift t-shirt or asking if I’m going to the show, and I’ve seen so many people wearing merch or bracelets. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, as all the lodging options were completely sold out.
Now about the concert itself, I’ll have to say it’s by far the best concert I’ve ever attended and I’m not only saying that because Taylor is my favorite artist, but I’ve truly never been to a concert like that. Over three hours of music, dancing, cool visuals and fans singing every.single.word. She is truly in a league of her own and I can’t wait to see her again this year. If you can’t go and see her, at least watch the concert-film on Disney+, it’s definitely worth it! I also need to mention how good the organization was, getting inside and outside the stadium, as well as having an assigned seat on the floor, which is a gamechanger. Europe should be taking notes, in comparison, at a concert in Paris last year, there were so many people and I could barely move, I’ve never been more uncomfortable.
When we explored the city
We had a few days in Chicago before and after the concert and we got to see everything we wanted, by walking everywhere. I wasn’t expecting to love the city so much, as I didn’t know much about it. But it’s truly beautiful and people were very friendly and helpful. I loved walking along the Riverwalk, especially in the afternoon when the light is just right. Also, my favorite cafe from the US turned out to be in Chicago, Goddess and the Baker.
When we had cocktails at the 95th floor
We had bought tickets to Chicago 360 to see the entire city from above and we chose the sunset slot, thinking the views would be amazing. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and somewhat hazy that day, so the views were still good but not what we were expecting. But we got some cocktails and waited for the city lights to turn on one by one. The bartender was new and had some difficulties making the cocktail that I chose, so he ended up saying he can’t charge me that much for that drink. 🤭
When we went to see a movie
Most of the time when I visit a city, I want to see the sights, eat in all the local restaurants and wander on its streets. But it was our last day in the US, we had already seen what we wanted to see and there was one more thing on our wishlist: to go to a cinema in the States. We picked a random one that was close to our hostel and I doubt all theaters are like that, because the seats were super comfortable and the footrest would lift completely, I felt like I was in bed at home and I could easily fall asleep. We didn’t really care about the movie, we picked one that we hadn’t seen and we bought an unbelievably large popcorn bucket and two cups of soda so big that we had to go to the bathroom once during the movie and another time at the end. 😂 10/10, would recommend.
