Chicago!

Hello!

After driving throught the night- through Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indianna, and Illinois- we have arrived at the Windy City!

We drove through the night in shifts according to the gas tank- I would drive a full tank and then fill up the tank, then Steph would drive and then fill up the tank. At 1:30 in the morning we hit a wall. Steph was driving and we were overcome with fatigue. We set an alarm and slept until 3:30.

The next morning, knowing that we couldn't check into the hotel until 3, we decided to make a stop in South Bend, Indianna on the way to Chicago. We arrived at the Notre Dame campus and walked around on a self-guided tour for about two hours. We parked across from the football stadium. Walking up to the entrance, I could just barely hear "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!" in the back of my mind. The campus is unbelievable- modern stone buildings with nods to a Gothic past, wrapped in Ivy, and looming over a lush green campus. Before leaving, we stopped by the 5 year old performing arts center. The facility was incredible with a concert hall, theater, organ and chorale hall, and cinema. We were given a tour by an older woman who showed a tremendous amount of loyalty to the school. After the tour, we continued on to Chicago.

What a beautiful city! The outskirts of the city reminded me of an industrial city with mills, warehouses, and working communities. I was worried with the amount of pollution but that fear soon dissipated when the downtown came into view. Full of skyscrapers cutting into the sky, I drove the car on I90 through the city and couldn't believe the shear scale of the community that surrounded us.

It took us over an hour to find the hotel, but as we were searching the outskirts of Chicago, I couldn't help but recognize the suburbs of the city. Being an old city, the suburbs of Chicago reminded me of the suburbs of Boston, especially Cambridge. Old brick buildings, brownstones, and shops up and down the streets brought a smile to my face as I was reminded of my experiences in Boston as a youth.

Tomorrow we are planning on spending the day in downtown Chicago. I'm excited to see this beautiful city- I can't wait!!

-rob