That’s that Chicago…

If you know the rest of those lyrics, have a quick jam session with me while you read this post.
The song is “Pop Style” by Drake.

Let me be real with you for a second. I only went to Chicago to “run into” Chance the Rapper. Chance, if you’re reading this, you’re the best. Wonu, Liz & Leye, if you guys are reading this, I hope you understand.😄

I’ve been wanting to visit Chicago for about 2 years now. I have and have had family and friends live in/ around the city for years so this year I decided to buy a ticket. All I could think about when I got on the plane was deep dish pizza and Chance the Rapper.

Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect. I just wanted to eat good food, hang with friends/ family and roam around the city with hopes of seeing (you guessed it) Chance. But I was pleasantly surprised by the city’s aesthetic. At least, the parts of it that I got to see.

For my first day, I met up with my friends Leye and Wonu at an apartment in Lincoln Park. After a slew of hugs, brought on by the fact that we had not seen ourselves in a while, we got in an Uber to head to the Art Institute.
One of my favorite places to visit in any city is an art museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago is right up there with some of the best ones I’ve been to. My favorite exhibit was definitely “The Invisible Man” by Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison.

We got a combo pass to visit both the art institute and the sky deck. (I recommend doing this as you’ll get fast pass privileges at the sky deck)

After the art institute, we crossed the street to Millennium Park. The sun was out in its full glory making everything look lush and beautiful. It was quite hot & humid, but the scenery more than made up for it.

Cloud gate or the “Bean” as it’s nicknamed, stood stunningly in the middle of the square.

The highlight of my day was watching two grown men run around in Pokemon costumes. I caught the running duo (Pikachu and Ash) on camera. Cheers to my friend Wonu for spotting them. In that scorching hot sun, I was way too focused on my ice cream bar.

All that walking worked up a huge appetite so we headed to the Chicago famous Giordano’s for some well deserved deep dish pizza. Sadly, that hunger was not satisfied quickly as we had to wait an hour for the pizza.
When it finally came out though, it was worth some of the wait. Haha.

I would definitely recommend that you head to Giordano’s on an empty stomach despite the wait time because that deep dish pizza will fill you up!! It’s so thick, it’s like eating lasagna. But it’s absolutely delicious. Shout out to my friend Leye for THAT recommendation. He’s a legend.

With full stomachs, we found our way into a Lyft and headed home. A glass of wine and a couple episodes of shameless later, my eyes drooped closed.

Have any of you tried deep dish pizza in Chicago? Been to the Bean or the Art Institute? Let me know about your experiences in the comments below!

Until next Friday guys, thanks for reading.

Photos shot on iPhone 6S Plus & Olympus OM-D E-M10 with a 14-42mm IIRK lens

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same footprints, different sands