Traveling to Chicago is always a pleasure and it is a city I have grown to know really well, especially over the past year. I have blogged about my love of this city before so I hope that I won't bore you. I recently got back from spending about a week in the windy city and much like all of my trips there I had an amazing time!
MF + me + SM + RM (Chicago, March 2013)
Last year my trip to Chicago in March brought me closer to three of my friends than I had been in years and I am still feeling the love that weekend brought about. I imagine I'll be feeling a lasting impression from this trip for some time to come as well.
Here are some of the things that were on my itinerary this last time around:
Here are some of the things that were on my itinerary this last time around:
PIZZA W// MY LOVES
After a business dinner I met up with RM, JT, TM & LM for deep dish deliciousness, Chicago-style. I noticed a man in the corner of the restaraunt sketching something, when I realized that he was drawing one of my friends I immediately went over and told him I would buy the drawing. The man spent the next hour or so frantically drawing the rest of us. The picture hardly resembles most of us but we will always cherish it and that night of Jameson shots with great friends!
BULLS VS. ROCKETS
The United Center is an epic sports arena and I am so glad that I was able to witness my first event there while on my trip. And what is better is that a few of my closest friends were in town for the game and I am ever so grateful for the invite they extended.
LM in a James Harden beard :)
We might have been in Bulls territory but we were cheering for the Rockets, unfortunately Beverly, Lin and the boys lost but we had a great time any way.
INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES EXPO
Before last week I had never been to a trade show let alone worked at one, so when I got my badge and first saw the enormous venue that is McCormick Place my mind was blown. My mind would continue to struggle to comprehend the size, the utter excess of the whole thing through out the process. When KT (my 'employer') arrived at the space for the first time it took us over 40 minutes to arrive at the booth space due to registration and the sheer size of the building, the walk through crates and pre-show mess resembled a game-show maze.
As far as pre-production goes for one of these things I imagine my experience was one of the more fun, I enjoyed my co-workers, believe in the company I was working for, learned a lot and my work was compensated & appreciated.
As far as pre-production goes for one of these things I imagine my experience was one of the more fun, I enjoyed my co-workers, believe in the company I was working for, learned a lot and my work was compensated & appreciated.
SPD x 2
Being that St. Patrick's Day was on a Monday clearly the world had to rearrange for the all-important 'business week' and celebrating was mostly done on the Saturday prior. RM and I met up with two wonderful ol' friends that we graduated from high school with a million (6) years ago. First we had a responsible brunch at a spot that doesn't even serve adult beverages, obviously not my choice. Then we promptly made our way to Rock Bottom Brewery where I consumed more than two of the beer o' day selections, a flavorful bock. (No green beer for me.) We hacked a table, met up with our friend MP's cousin and girlfriend who were welcomed with drunken hugs. The lovely Kim and I made our way upstairs to wait in line for the fuggin bathroom when we discovered the dance party upstairs, way better than the sitting and sports watching that was happening on the main floor. So naturally we moved our group upstairs, danced with LA cops in town for the parade, totally randomly ran into a best friend of a best friend good from MPLS (#typical) and made a tower of plastic cups.
The party moved from Rock Bottom to John Barleycorn's where I made a new friend and took 3 (three too many) shots of Jameson. After that we ate some Chipotle to soak up some bad decisions, we took a train somewhere and I may have been on a soap box about my intoxication (info based on a snap chat I later saw), then I took an impromptu nap at my pal MP's apartment.
I awoke refreshed and ready for round two, I guess. We hit up another buddy's apartment, a liquor store, then a place called Kasey's on printers row (according to Foursquare) and lastly Stout perhaps? I was drinking beer until about 4 I think, I should plead the fifth but after that I bought a Walgreens cheese pizza and of course burnt it so badly that it was never consumed.
So basically it was a typical St. Patty's Day celebration.
DISCLAIMER: I mean no disrespect to Irish heritage, I've seen a few people on the internet making a stink and refusing to drink a beer as some sort of protest. My getting drunk on this 'holiday' is simply because I am a twenty something who honestly would be doing it in any case, I don't need a culture endorsed reason to do so.
The party moved from Rock Bottom to John Barleycorn's where I made a new friend and took 3 (three too many) shots of Jameson. After that we ate some Chipotle to soak up some bad decisions, we took a train somewhere and I may have been on a soap box about my intoxication (info based on a snap chat I later saw), then I took an impromptu nap at my pal MP's apartment.
I awoke refreshed and ready for round two, I guess. We hit up another buddy's apartment, a liquor store, then a place called Kasey's on printers row (according to Foursquare) and lastly Stout perhaps? I was drinking beer until about 4 I think, I should plead the fifth but after that I bought a Walgreens cheese pizza and of course burnt it so badly that it was never consumed.
So basically it was a typical St. Patty's Day celebration.
DISCLAIMER: I mean no disrespect to Irish heritage, I've seen a few people on the internet making a stink and refusing to drink a beer as some sort of protest. My getting drunk on this 'holiday' is simply because I am a twenty something who honestly would be doing it in any case, I don't need a culture endorsed reason to do so.
ON ACTUAL SPD...
I went to Chicago Cut with a new pal. To be frank I probably instigated the world's longest lunch, 5 hours and 5 cocktails past noon my new friend and I were drunk and he had to head back to the office, poor schmuck. I got to take the L back to Wrigleyville and eat my leftovers all sleepily, preparing for my flight back to MSP in the morning.
I went to Chicago Cut with a new pal. To be frank I probably instigated the world's longest lunch, 5 hours and 5 cocktails past noon my new friend and I were drunk and he had to head back to the office, poor schmuck. I got to take the L back to Wrigleyville and eat my leftovers all sleepily, preparing for my flight back to MSP in the morning.
BONUS BLURBS
- I used my charm to secure a tour of legendary ad agency Leo Burnett, which resulted in me also being graciously given a copy of Humankind & an apple in true Leo-style!
- I took a selfie with James Harden's butt in the background, although his butt was covered by jeans and an amazing exaggeratedly long sweatshirt this photo might not ever surface. JH is definitely the most fashionable player that I saw post-game.
- I did not go to Millennium Park.
- I lusted after players from the Nashville Predators hockey team in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton.
- I took a selfie with James Harden's butt in the background, although his butt was covered by jeans and an amazing exaggeratedly long sweatshirt this photo might not ever surface. JH is definitely the most fashionable player that I saw post-game.
- I did not go to Millennium Park.
- I lusted after players from the Nashville Predators hockey team in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton.
I hope that you all are starting to catch on to how much I love Chicago. My hope is that if any of these posts speak to you that you will make a trip out to see the great Windy City for yourself.
xoxox, kp
xoxox, kp
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