First Visit To Chicago

Have you ever been to a magical place? Well, I have. Chicago is a very magical place with many sights and sounds. Chicago was one of the many cities I wished to visit when I was in the Philippines. This fascination I drew from reading about it and teaching it in my geography class. So, I couldn’t contain my excitement when my husband told me that he would take me to Chicago to explore the city. I could not believe that I was about to see it for the first time, and I wanted my first visit to be memorable.

It was Thursday, January 14, 2003 when we decided to check out the city. My husband woke me up early to get ready, and I got up to look out the window. I had heard on the news the night before that it was going to snow. “It definitely snowed last night,” I exclaimed to my husband. Then, I started getting ready so we could get going on our adventure.

After bundling up in layers and layers of clothes, we headed out with our thick coats and winter hats on. While I waited for my husband in the garage, I could feel the chill in the air as the breeze touched my cheeks. He was clearing the car with snow. He had forgotten to park his car inside the garage the night before, so it was all covered with snow the next morning. I kept pacing back and forth with my arms crossed to keep me warm. I repeatedly asked my husband if he was done and he repeatedly answered me, “Almost done.”

“We are going to miss the train,” I added. It must have taken him twenty minutes or so to finally brush the snow off the car. When he was finally done, I came up to him and tried opening the passenger side. It wouldn’t open. Apparently, the door was stuck from all the ice, but after pushing it from within, it finally opened up.

We were finally ready to go, so I climbed into the car and we headed north to the train station. My husband could tell that I was extremely excited. I had my camera ready in my purse set to capture everything I saw. Everything that day was going to be a first for me. It was going to be my first train ride and my first visit to Chicago. When we arrived at the train station, the train had not yet arrived. I saw people standing and waiting for the train with their arms crossed to keep them warm.

My husband and I slowly made our way to the boarding area and joined the rest of the waiting passengers. When the train finally arrived, the conductor made his way out and cued us that the train was ready for boarding. I grabbed my husband’s hand and hurriedly rushed to the entrance. I picked out our seats, and we sat comfortably. When I realized that I couldn’t see the outside because of the condensation on the train’s windows, I was a little disappointed.

Nevertheless, I was so anxious for the train to get going; I thought train rides were a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the constant stops made me so drowsy and sleepy that I fell asleep. Eventually on our second to the last stop, my husband woke me up. He whispered to me that I should get ready because we were approaching the last stop. I put myself together and waited to get off the train. As soon as the train stopped, each passenger patiently waited for his or her turn to get out. We followed the crowd and went through a tunnel with construction happening on both sides. We kept walking until we climbed up the stairs. There it was; the beautiful skyscrapers of Chicago and the famous Michigan Avenue. All I said was, “Wow.” We were finally there.

We started walking north on Michigan Avenue. There were a lot of tourists taking pictures of the beautiful buildings, and they were also bundled up just like me. I couldn’t believe how busy and how many people were there. As we crossed the bridge over the Chicago River, I watched the water taxis. They reminded me of my hometown Cebu. We have a lot of water taxis taking passengers to different parts of the island there too. Of course, it is warmer there than it was that day. As we crossed over the bridge, I saw performers on the street with their homemade drums. While onlookers were watching, they were playing rhythmic songs. We then continued up the Magnificent Mile where I felt so captivated with everything I saw. I was impressed with the fine shops and boutiques that lined the street. The location had everything from department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, and hotels. Finally, after walking for a while, we decided to have lunch in one of the restaurants in the Water Tower Place.

I couldn’t believe how spacious the Water Tower Place was. The mall had many places to shop and eat at. No one would be able to look around the Water Tower Place in one day. We sat in one of the restaurants as I watched shoppers passing by and carrying different bags from different stores. The mall surely reminded me of the mall we had back home although it was a little smaller and a lot busier.

After strolling at the mall for a little bit, we decided to call it a day and head home. On our way back to the train station, the light poles along the street lit up. It looked so beautiful. From afar, they reminded me of the twinkling stars in the sky. When we got the train station, we climbed down the stairs and waited on the bench for the train to arrive. I then thanked my husband for a wonderful day spent in Chicago.

With each new visit to Chicago I take, I always feel the excitement just like I felt on my first visit. Chicago is a magical place; furthermore, I had a wonderful time exploring it. Visiting Chicago was different than reading or teaching about it. Exploring and seeing the place for the first time made an impression on me; there surely is no other place like Chicago.