all things go!

i just returned from a vacation to chicago and boy, i feel great. and not just because i got to catch up with some very dear girlfriends, or because i ate gobs of wonderful food, or because i had five full days to enjoy my boyfriend's company, or because our hotel had free beer in the lobby. i'm feeling great because of all those aspects of my trip and more. but mostly, i feel like i have been home (even though this was my first visit to chicago as an adult), soaking myself in wholesome midwestern culture. my own culture. the culture of kids like me who feel like they were raised in a sportsbar.

i wondered how midwestern chicago would seem to me, as it has very non-midwestern aspects such as public transportation and H&Ms and a beach. almost immediately after arriving, however, i was happy to feel myself tingle with that familiar feeling:

here you are, here you belong.

visiting chicago for me was the opposite of visiting a very foreign country. its midwesternness is almost intangible because it's such a big city. i mean, vince vaughn hangs out in a ritzy restaurant there: chicago is no stranger to glamour. but there's an air of appreciation of the simple things in life (like sports, beer, hotdogs, and popcorn) and the atmosphere feels uncomplicated, almost lackadaisical, and generous. at any rate, i had a lovely time and i'm looking forward to making chicago a usual stop in my lifelong tour of the world.