Guh, holy crap, it's already been a week? I swear to god I just blinked. Shit's moving pretty fast right now, but we'll get to that. I was on the way south from NYC last time we talked, if I remember correctly. Let's start back up there.

Chicago

So it's roughly a thirty hour Amtrak ride from NYC  to Greenwood Mississippi, where I was gonna meet up with my southern folk. My particular trip had a twelve hour layover in Chicago, from eight to eight, which was one of the reasons I chose that ticket. I've never been to Chicago- my only contact with the city has been mobster movies and one boss I used to have who I always secretly suspected to carry a switchblade (Adam knows who she is), so the first thing that struck me is how incredibly beautiful the town is. Chicago lives right on the edge of Lake Michigan, and I mean right on the goddam edge;

like park your boat at the office close

a fact that they have embraced whole-heartedly. It's like the city started at the shore, and just radiated in a half-circle out from there. Here, check these out

That's a left-to-right of the edge of town. There's a little park, then water. It's just this giant wall of huge buildings that abruptly stops, and then there's some water. 

That park that I mentioned is no slacker either

They took their time with this one, and actually created a really pleasant, relaxing space, instead to sodding an empty lot and putting a plaque up. This was true of everywhere I went in Chicago (disclaimer- that only includes an area roughly two miles in radius from the train station)- it's one of the few places that actually feels like an honest to god City, not just some town that got big. Not just any city either, but a real place with solid, palpable character and history. Look, I'm tired, just look at this shit and you'll get my drift

pictured: how it's done

The whole place has a very particular feel to it, and I mean to come back someday and really get to know Chicago. It seems like it'd be worth it.

Oh, also I did this for a while