Chicago: Day 1, Part 1

The Flight

On the plane right now and I’m trying so hard to contain my excitement.... WAH! This is just... wow. Lucky for me, I scored a window seat, although I don’t know what’s going to go down when I have bodily urges... does that sound wrong? 

Maybe it’s just because I’m sitting next to the engine, but it’s really loud... really, really loud. You can see the shadows that clouds cast on the earth! Sorry just... really elated. Looking out the window, it’s hard to believe that clouds are just clusters of evaporation. They seem so peaceful floating above the ground, just existing freely... or maybe I’m just overthinking all of this. 

Note to self: Plane travel is fun, first class seats are better although economy isn’t quite so bad. I suppose first class flyers also have a better chance of getting internet access... Update: You have to buy internet. Which I would do in an instant if this flight wasn’t so short. Not going to fork over $10 for an hour and a half. Thanks, but I can live without it, American Air.

Also, the world looks kinda ugly from this altitude... all these streets and roads arranged haphazardly, coupled with strangely shaped fields full of brown grass. Not as lovely as I hoped. It is interesting, though to see where communities have towns and where there’s farmland and such. This is turning out to be an interesting learning experience, guys. Like urban planning 101. I suppose you could always use Google Earth, though.

Oh, and there’s a baby on the plane. I saw her before I boarded and I’ll admit she’s the cutest thing on this plane, but lord knows that if she starts bawling, so will I.

Holy crap, my flight was supposed to be 2 hours, 40 minutes long but it’s only... an hour and a half. How does that work? Thank you, American Airlines. Reliable as always. I guess this means we’ll be waiting quite a while once we arrive. Scheduled transportation isn’t always as nice as it seems. 

My sister told me to lift my feet off the floor during take-off because it feels like you’re actually flying. I did, but it didn’t feel so different. I didn’t feel the engine rumbling beneath my feet but that’s pretty much it. I think I’ll just resume reading Freakonomics.

...

ORD

At the airport in Chicago right now! It’s a good thing I remembered to set my watch back an hour while I was on the plane. Otherwise, I’d just be lost. Waiting for our companions to take the bus to the hotel with... THEY’RE INTERNATIONAL! Yee so excited. Is that weird? From what I know, we’re expecting to take the bus with girls from France, Germany, and some other European countries WAHOO! Okay I’m getting a little strange.

Oh I just saw these two girls walk by who were wearing mega-tall flatforms! It was so crazy, those shoes must have been 10 inches high! They seemed like super cool cats, so I guess it’s alright. But there I was, sitting on the side, gawking at how tall their shoes were. 

...

So far we have 2 girls from Madagascar and their chaperone and 8 people from the Congo. Whoah! Not to be rude, but... where are the French kids? 

...

Nowhere on the itinerary did it mention a 2 hour wait for the bus to take us to the hotel. Seriously? We’ve been waiting here for a period of time longer than our flight. This, my friends, is not okay. That, and my back hurts. 

Weather Update from Chicago: It’s actually windy. Well, they don’t call it the Windy City for nothing. But really, there’s wind all the time. Also, it’s a forecasted 90-something degrees, but it definitely doesn’t feel like it. Perhaps New York humidity has altered my sense of temperature, because it feels beautiful out here. Wish New York was the Windy City. If it was, it’d be much, much more likeable. 

Anyway, finally got on the bus and I’m feeling like myself again. This is good. Oh, and there are a couple of girls from the UK... one of which is really pretty... ya know, just saying.

...

MARRIOT CHICAGO DOWNTOWN

Just submitted my forms, waiting for my chaperone so we can register together. But on a mote exciting (ish) note, the carpeting in this hotel is horrendous. Makes me want to claw my eyes out, not kidding. Otherwise, it’s pretty darn fancy. But there are so many people. Kinda like New York, but not really. OH and there’s a Nordstrom and a Bloomie’s next door, so I can window-shop to my heart’s content because lord knows I cannot add on to what I’ve spent in the last two months without a job, that is. But then again, window shopping always leaves you unsatisfied. Megasigh. 

so, so revolting.

Well, it’s 4:00 and boy, has the day gone! It took me 7 hours to get here, including the time difference (1 hour, if you’re curious). Think of all the things I could have accomplished in 7 hours... well, if I were at home, I would have done absolutely nothing, but that’s not the point. 

Thanks for reading.

Love, J