As I write this I am riding the train back from Chicago after taking the test for the Presidential Management Fellowship. Normally tests aren’t too much fun but I’ve had a great, although very brief, time here in Chicago.

I started my journey on an Amtrak train. Ever since I was little I have loved trains and old train stations. I’m not sure whether it’s the fact that riding a train is a tangible link to history, the gentle rocking of the cars that lulls you to sleep, or the fact that I’m just a old romantic about some things but I would take a train over most forms of transportation anytime.
So I started my journey in A2 and I was struck by two things: One, the care was a little on the smelly side and two, this was going to be a long trip. I knew that I could get over the whole smelly train thing, but let me explain why the trip ended up being trying. Sitting one row ahead of me on the adjacent side was a dad travelling with a small child. Normally I’m totally fine with little kids, I was once that age myself, but this time it wasn’t the little kid who was a problem, she was a total angel, it was the adult who thought he was a “gangsta rapper” who made for a long train trip. This guy dressed like 50-cent, white dress shirt, hat turned backwards, pants down around his knees, and timberland boots. He had his i-pod turned up so loud that everyone in the front of the car could hear it and he had this annoying affinity for one song that he kept playing over and over again.

It only got worse. He would pump his music up, start to make gestures in time to the music and then he would shout such rousing choruses like “I’m so fast you better wear your Nikes”, “I’m the king!” (this one was one of his favorites), “I’m uns……..” (I couldn’t always make this one out). At one point half the people in the car were yelling at him to shut up and he said that “yeah I’m just hanging in my sphere if you know what I’m mean”. He did quiet down for about 30 minutes but then he started right back up again. I began thinking some very un-christian things about the state of his i-pod, I thought that i-pods had a very limited battery life but his kept on playing for the entire 7 hour trip. I think I’ll sue Apple.

Besides the problems our rapper caused it was a most enjoyable trip. We passed some gorgeous houses, pretty scenery, and best of all every train station around the route was gorgeous! My dad used to work for Amtrak and he always said they could never get anywhere on time. He was right! We were 2 hours late getting into the station. Now normally this wouldn’t have been a problem but since we had our budding artist on the train by the end of the trip everyone let out a collective sigh at finally being in Chicago.

I took a cab to my hotel which was restored from 1920’s. Low and behold what was right next door not 10 feet away from the front door but my all-time favorite Chicago restaurant, the Webber Grill. Now some people might wonder if I ever feel weird eating by myself and the answer is that I’ve gotten used to it, I just bring a book and I’m fine. During my time in Chicago I experienced another great benefit to being a table of one, you get seated right away (however, is should be stipulated that everyone you walk by gives you a death glare because they have to wait another 45 minutes for a table). At the Webber that night I had a great barbecue combo meal with ribs and brisket, ah heaven!

My first night I also went out on a mission that my mom and aunt have been planning since I told them in October that I was going to Chicago, I made a pilgrimage to Macy’s. Now you may be thinking “What are you doing Christine?! You hate shopping!!” and while this is true I love my family even more. The reason I walked to Macy’s was to purchase in bulk Frango mint chocolate cookies. Here is the backstory why- Originally these cookies were made by a now defunct department store and when the store closed there were lots of very upset people because this store had an exclusive with Frango. There was so much outcry that Macy’s which bought the other department store brought back the entire line of Frango chocolates and cookies. While the chocolates are sold in stores throughout the country you can only buy the cookies in Chicago and from what my family tells me they alone are well worth the trip. As an added bonus when I walked into Macy’s they were giving away free full bottles of a very expensive moisturizer as part of a judgment from a price fixing lawsuit recently settled (kind of ironic- the whole corruption thing- in Chicago).

The next day (Thursday) was the big day for my test. Since my test wasn’t till 1 p.m. I had the whole morning free so I took the subway down early and walked around. I found a great restaurant for lunch, not that I really could eat much, and then the hour came. When we walked into the room there was a gorgeous view of lake Michigan, I decided that if I had that view I wouldn’t be able to focus on the test so I sat with my back to the window. As I sat down in my chair I noticed a sign in front that read “We Test Best”, uh huh.

The test went as well as can be expected. By the end of 3.5 hours my brain was fried. It was either not to bad or horrible (I won’t know which until I get my score back).

I have always wanted to go to the art museum and this was my lucky day because admission was free after 5 p.m.. Now I normally think that art museums aren’t that big a deal (I breezed through the Louvre in 2 hours) but for the first time in my life art literally took my breath away. The impressionist gallery was an incredible, surreal experience. Art that I studied in school textbooks was their right in front of me and I was able to see one of my favorite pictures- Hoppers “Nighthawks”.

For dinner that night Dad told me that I had to go to “Harry Caray's” and get a steak. What a dinner- I had prosciutto with melon, a 45 day dry aged bone-in rib eye, and crème brule. This was my kind of steak house because when you ordered steak all you got was steak, no needless filling up with vegetables which cost extra (just kidding- yes my major is public health).

Today I was sad to leave. I got up at 6 a.m., got the morning paper, and made a Starbucks run. As I was walking to catch my train I was able to walk through the main terminal at Union Station, which is really neat, and catch my train. As I boarded the train I got a final surprise that perfectly ends my mostly fun 3 days, there were no coach seats- everyone got a free upgrade to business class!