My Kind of Town

What a wonderful day we spent in the Windy City! We awoke in Libertyville and hit the road early after trying to express our overflowing thanks to our gracious hosts. People are pretty wonderful, as they are so good to remind us.

After a brief "driving tour" (read: getting super lost) along LakeShore Drive and Michigan Avenue, we headed immediately to Millennium Park for a photo shoot at the big silver bean. The sky was blue and the air was a crisp fourteen degrees - a little rough on the extremities, but most flattering to the view around us. Chicago is a beautiful city.

We warmed up inside the Chicago Institute of Art as we toured an exhibit of portraits by Yosuf Karsh that featured a diverse selection of the 20th century's most influential public figures. It definitely gave us pause for reflection as we focus our attention on the meaning and implications of leadership this week.

The museum's permanent collections dazzled. Each time we turned a corner we were confronted with a masterpiece we'd seen in textbooks, studied, written about, and hung on our bedroom walls years ago. I wonder if anyone has even been able to articulate why it our hearts catch in our throats as we stand before certain canvases.

We walked across the street and saw the official beginning of Route 66 before stepping into a cafe for a bite of lunch. Then we drive to the Steppenwolf Theater to catch a matinee performance of Art by French playwright Yazmina Reza. The play tells the story of three male friends, one of whom has recently spent a fortune on a plain white painting. The purchase of this "work of art" (?) causes an explosive argument between the three, exploring the nature of friendship, the definining traits of selfhood, and the power of art to evoke our deepest thoughts and convictions. We were able to stay for a discussion afterward with the director who shared wonderful insight with the crowd.

We spent our evening exploring Michigan Avenue. A few girls took a walk down memory lane at the American Girl Place (I'll admit, it may or may not have fulfilled a childhood dream long forgotten). We enjoyed a glorious deep-dish pizza dinner at Giordano's, lingering at the table for good conversations and the cherishable process of getting to know our fellow travelers.

Chicago is a strikingly American city. People were very courteous and friendly. They seem hard-working but not stressed, highly aware but optimistic and unafraid. It is already apparent that this part of the world is different from home.

Our itinerary then led us to Wheaton College to spend the night with a crushingly kind group of students in their cozy apartment. We were glad for the chance to spend some time in a kind of "cousin" school to ours. We enjoyed good conversations and a great night's sleep.