My Dad grew up in Chicago, he was born here, although neither of his parents were. Anyway, he left when he was 15 or 16, and he's never lived here since. This means that Chicago was a frequent journey when I was a kid. I hazily remember coming as a family of four (mom, Dad, Sarah, little brother Gabe), but what I remember most is coming over spring break almost every year of elementary school just me, Gabe, and Dad. It was my Mom's one year of peace and quiet a year. I remember some pretty epic traveling mishaps: Throwing up on the airplane (both me & Gabe); terrible crushing traffic on the Kennedy expressway and all of the adults in the car stressing out about whether we'd miss our flight and, of course, arguing about it; flights canceled and getting to stay unexpectedly for another day; traveling by myself for the first time when I was 12 or 13; an emergency landing in Detroit because our pilot had fallen ill right after take-off; and most recently, flying in for school the day after Hurricane Irene, wondering whether the airport would re-open and whether I'd make it to orientation or not.
My Dad grew up in Chicago, he was born here, although neither of his parents were. Anyway, he left when he was 15 or 16, and he's never lived here since. This means that Chicago was a frequent journey when I was a kid. I hazily remember coming as a family of four (mom, Dad, Sarah, little brother Gabe), but what I remember most is coming over spring break almost every year of elementary school just me, Gabe, and Dad. It was my Mom's one year of peace and quiet a year. I remember some pretty epic traveling mishaps: Throwing up on the airplane (both me & Gabe); terrible crushing traffic on the Kennedy expressway and all of the adults in the car stressing out about whether we'd miss our flight and, of course, arguing about it; flights canceled and getting to stay unexpectedly for another day; traveling by myself for the first time when I was 12 or 13; an emergency landing in Detroit because our pilot had fallen ill right after take-off; and most recently, flying in for school the day after Hurricane Irene, wondering whether the airport would re-open and whether I'd make it to orientation or not.
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