Never Ending Chicago Winter

Growing up near Chicago has trained me for winter and I’m used to much more snow than we’ve been getting in recent years. What is it about this year’s winter that has everyone I know pleading for it to end? Despite the lack of snow it seems we’re well below average temperature for March. I don’t mind the cold, but I miss the sun.

Business Travel Déjà Vu

My early flight home from Minneapolis yesterday morning was delayed by two hours. After a while I gave in and bought a magazine in the airport gift shop. I was halfway through before realizing I had already read it–and that I’d bought it two business trips ago.

The day before I insisted I was in Michigan (I was wrong) and that it was Tuesday (it was Monday). Should I take this as a sign I’m traveling too much?

January in New York

I found myself working in New Jersey twice in January this year. When I’m there I try to make it over to Manhattan for museums and shopping, but this time I visited Brooklyn for the first time. Meeting up with a friend who grew up there he laughed at the fact that I picked Williamsburg, since he doesn’t consider it real Brooklyn. Next time I’m out East with nice weather I’ll try to make it further into Brooklyn.

Officially Winter

I can deal with the cold temperatures, it’s the weeks without sunshine that get to me during the Chicago winter.

Traveling Through 2012

Despite my lack of updates, I managed to take quite a few trips this year. Only a few were non-work related but I try my best to spend a little time in each city I visit. Both St. Louis and Detroit trips were in and out in one day, but I always arrange extra time in New York and D.C.

Who knows what sort of travel is in store for me in 2013, but I hope for at least one international trip. I’m still toying with the idea of biking around Iceland but, for now, all I know is I’ll be visiting New York and Atlanta.

January: Washington D.C.

February: St. Louis

March: Virginia, Syracuse

April: NYC, Jersey City

May: NYC, Jersey City

July: Washington D.C., Detroit

August: Denver

September: Connecticut, Houston

November: Sydney, Pittsburgh

December: Boston

Chicago Open Streets: Milwaukee Avenue

I may be a bit behind on my posting, Chicago’s Open Streets happened in September. Even so, I wanted to post about it because it was an interesting event. One and a half miles of Milwaukee Avenue was shut down for a good part of the day in Wicker Park. I was hoping it would simply be a clear open street for cyclists, but small areas were set up with activities like 4-square, fencing and areas for kids to play. As nice as it was to casually ride down Milwaukee without worrying about being doored or running over a jaywalker, I pointed out to friends that this happens every Sunday and holiday in Bogota and, although this is a start, I hope we can make streets safe and open more than once a year.

Don’t Forget to Vote, America

Since I’m working this week I voted last Monday. I’m grateful that Illinois allows early voting, although I was looking forward to seeing my new polling place a few steps out my back door.

Officially Fall

Chicago was beautiful yesterday, the trees full of yellow leaves glowing against a bright blue sky. Today is overcast and dreary, reminding me that the winter is coming. Summer in Chicago is so great that, even though I know it will end, it’s always hard to see go.

Is Business Travel Really Traveling?

Despite my lack of travel posts around here lately, I’ve been on the road quite a bit. In September I flew to Denver to see my sister, took connecting flights both ways to Connecticut to work (and got stuck in Philly overnight) and made my way to Houston.

When I’m traveling for work I take a suitcase with wheels and usually don’t get to explore the city. My job in Connecticut had me in the suburbs without a car (an hour taxi ride from the Hartford airport) and in Houston I worked in a meeting room in the same hotel I stayed in. I only left the hotel twice to walk across a parking lot to dinner. Although having your travel paid for sounds great, now that I experience it often I realize it isn’t as great as it sounds to a backpacker counting her pennies.

Luckily I get to visit D.C. and New Jersey a few times a year and always try to arrange an extra day to see the sights. In both cases I can rely on public transportation to get around and there is plenty to see. Hopefully after my next business trip to New York in a few weeks I’ll get organized and post all of the photos of the adventures I had on my past three trips there.