This is my first weekend off in, well, a long time. I don't take weekends off, but this one I kind of lucked into. My boss gave me Saturday off, since she needed me during the week and I was right there as she was making the schedule so she gave me Sunday off too.
Normally, I would be all excited to hole myself in my room and play video games the entire two days with a few yoga breaks thrown in. Normally. Unfortunately (or not), I'm rather bored of that. I always do that, and unless a new game came out or I have some drunk fun PvP times with friends, I come out of it feeling ill at ease. Somehow, I just don't feel like getting wasted tonight and waking up to be miserable the rest of the weekend. Throwing up macroni and cheese is fun and all when you're trying to go buy a new video card (lol, don't think I told that story, whoops), but I think I've had my fill of that for now.
So, this weekend I'm taking a train into the city.
I've lived near Chicago my entire life. My dad worked there for about 20 years, but he never wanted us to actually live in the city, just close enough. I've been many, many times over the years -- for trips with friends, dentist and doctor visits, treks to the museums, dog shows, and my high school English professors were big into theater and took us to Steppenwolf Theatre once or twice a year. I'm not unfamiliar with it, by any means, but I've never gone alone. I've never just gone to explore the city, and see what I may not have when with other people.
I remember my most recent trip, a few years ago, actually, where 3 friends and I went. I love them, don't get me wrong, but there were moments I wished I was alone. There were things I wanted to do that they did not. That feeling of sitting there in the trolley, of sitting there in the water taxi and just watching the scenes go by are the highlights of the trip. I couldn't tell you much else about it, but I remember those, and I remember looking out while waiting in line for the water taxi and just being happy for being there in that moment.
My coworkers and even my dad are worried. "What do you mean you're going alone?!" My coworker other half likes to give me crap for my preference of going to the movies alone and commented today saying that this is different. I always go places with other people (lol except the movies), why can't I take a day for myself? Why do I have to constantly be surrounded by people?
I've been looking at things I could do -- the zoo because I've wanted to go back for a while now and Chinatown, because I've never been are the big ones, but Blues Fest is also going on this weekend. I may not be a huge fan of that type of music, but that's something I've never done and might be worth a look. The zoo would be fun, just because I've never taken a bus there before. I have two days though, so I figure I might just wander the first day then go to the zoo the next day. Metra gives weekend passes, so might as well use that. Or maybe I'll find one day is enough, who knows.
This might be exactly what I need.
Normally, I would be all excited to hole myself in my room and play video games the entire two days with a few yoga breaks thrown in. Normally. Unfortunately (or not), I'm rather bored of that. I always do that, and unless a new game came out or I have some drunk fun PvP times with friends, I come out of it feeling ill at ease. Somehow, I just don't feel like getting wasted tonight and waking up to be miserable the rest of the weekend. Throwing up macroni and cheese is fun and all when you're trying to go buy a new video card (lol, don't think I told that story, whoops), but I think I've had my fill of that for now.
So, this weekend I'm taking a train into the city.
I've lived near Chicago my entire life. My dad worked there for about 20 years, but he never wanted us to actually live in the city, just close enough. I've been many, many times over the years -- for trips with friends, dentist and doctor visits, treks to the museums, dog shows, and my high school English professors were big into theater and took us to Steppenwolf Theatre once or twice a year. I'm not unfamiliar with it, by any means, but I've never gone alone. I've never just gone to explore the city, and see what I may not have when with other people.
I remember my most recent trip, a few years ago, actually, where 3 friends and I went. I love them, don't get me wrong, but there were moments I wished I was alone. There were things I wanted to do that they did not. That feeling of sitting there in the trolley, of sitting there in the water taxi and just watching the scenes go by are the highlights of the trip. I couldn't tell you much else about it, but I remember those, and I remember looking out while waiting in line for the water taxi and just being happy for being there in that moment.
My coworkers and even my dad are worried. "What do you mean you're going alone?!" My coworker other half likes to give me crap for my preference of going to the movies alone and commented today saying that this is different. I always go places with other people (lol except the movies), why can't I take a day for myself? Why do I have to constantly be surrounded by people?
I've been looking at things I could do -- the zoo because I've wanted to go back for a while now and Chinatown, because I've never been are the big ones, but Blues Fest is also going on this weekend. I may not be a huge fan of that type of music, but that's something I've never done and might be worth a look. The zoo would be fun, just because I've never taken a bus there before. I have two days though, so I figure I might just wander the first day then go to the zoo the next day. Metra gives weekend passes, so might as well use that. Or maybe I'll find one day is enough, who knows.
This might be exactly what I need.