Feel the Illinoise

Every summer, I am without fail bombarded with photos of people’s glamorous vacations. Drinking vino in Portofino. Roadtripping across New Zealand. Ramen-shop hopping in Tokyo. From celebrities to friends to acquaintances, it feels like everyone took an epic vacation this summer but me.

It almost entices me to book an international getaway.

Almost.

As I Google “nonstop flights to Oslo”, I’m reminded of how wiggly G is and how much she’d hate being cooped up on a plane for 9 hours. How restless Bub would be waiting at a busy baggage claim when all he wants to do is run around. How neither of them could care less about trying new cuisine, taking photos, and admiring scenic landscapes.

They don’t care where we are. They want freedom to play. They want food when they want it. They just want to be with Steve and me.

As much as my free-spirited, restless heart wants to roam the earth, it’s not the right time.

So instead, we made the most of our summer staying local. We visited every nature center in the county, played in our neighbor’s garden, and treated my sister’s home like an Airbnb when she went on a trip.

Now with the sun setting earlier, the temps getting cooler, and the trees beginning to turn, I look back fondly on our summer. The summer Bub was four and G was a baby.

The Morton Arboretum

Fabyan Villa Museum & Japanese Garden

Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

Springbrook Prairie

Shabbona Lake State Park

HOME

My Sister’s

Return to Wicker

Steve took Bub to a birthday party today, which gave me an entire Saturday to myself. A luxurious treat for any parent. Wanting to take advantage of gorgeous September weather (when it’s finally pleasant in Chicago), I invited a dear friend to explore Wicker Park with me.

Wicker Park, the place where it all began. Where Steve and I finally committed to becoming adults together. That’s a weird way to put it. What I’m trying to say is that Wicker Park is where Steve and I made some major adult decisions: it’s where we bought out first condo, where we lived when I found out I got my first corporate job, where we lived when we got married, where we lived when we got a puppy together. We spent hours walking the 606 talking about our hopes and dreams. We watched Sunday night football games at the Blue Line, scarfing chicken pot pie and wings. I spent many a lunch perusing the salad bar at Goddess and Grocer. I purchased life-changing secondhand books at Myopic Books. I remember sitting at the window of Stan’s Donuts on a cold winter afternoon, people-watching while dunking my cinnamon roll into a hot cup of coffee. I miss the farmers’ market on Sunday mornings and the chaos of Six Corners.

What I miss most of all is that chapter in my life when I lived there. Young, full of hope, trying to figure out what being an “adult” means.

Four years later, I’m finally back in my old neighborhood. Thirty-three years old. A mom. And while I’m not sure I’m any closer to figuring out adulthood, I’m absolutely sure that no one else is either.

It was wonderful to be back for an afternoon with great company, a seat right away at Big Star, a stroll down the 606 as the sun set. How strange yet familiar to be back in a place I used to live - as if nothing has changed and yet, everything has.

Italy

From Munich, we hopped on a quick flight to Venice. Along the way, we were able to see the beautiful mountains of northern Italy. In seemingly a blink of an eye, we went from cold, rainy Munich to sunny, sweltering Venice.

Venice

How is it that a one-hour flight can transport us to a different world? Venice could not have been more different than Munich in terms of weather, culture, and scenery. Our cab from the Venice airport dropped us off at the edge of the city, right near the train station. Vehicles were no longer allowed beyond that point, which I discovered had its pros and cons.

Pros:

• It's lovely to be able to walk around a city and not worry about congestion or being hit by cars.
• It keeps the city nice and quiet.

Cons:

• It's easy to get lost and stay lost. We quickly discovered that navigating Venice's streets was like finding our way through a labyrinth.
• It's less convenient. We watched a group of men try to move furniture on a boat instead of a moving truck.

Parts of Venice made me feel like I was at Disney World, as if I was in a make-believe version of Italy. Especially with no cars, we were able to wander around as if Venice were a giant historic resort. Once we got away from the crowds, near the Rialto and Piazza San Marco, Venice felt much calmer and neighborly. Every few blocks, we found a little square where locals gathered.

I read in a brochure that one of the best places to view the Grand Canal was from the rooftop terrace of the Frondaco dei Tedeschi department store. We booked our reservations online for a free 15 minute viewing on the rooftop. When we got to the store, we waited in a short line for an absolutely stunning view of the canal.

On our last night in Venice, we had dinner at Osteria Zucca. The best vegetarian lasagna.

“This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.””

— Thomas Mann

Florence

Florence is one of my favorite cities in the world. I first visited in high school and have such magical memories of my time there. I couldn't wait to show Steve how beautiful it was.

Beautiful though it was, we arrived in Florence just as a heat wave called 'Lucifer' was taking hold of Europe. We had to strategically plan out our days: waking up early to sightsee, recovering back at the hotel between 2 to 5 pm, and coming back out just as the sun was setting. We'd roll back to our hotel around 10 pm, stuffed with pizza, pasta, and prosciutto.

I loved those early mornings. The streets were quiet and free of crowds. It was cool enough to function. And, we still had the whole day ahead of us.

One morning, we took a bike ride to Signa in search of sunflower fields. An hour into our ride, we discovered that we had just missed the season. We found a few fields with dried up sunflowers, a couple weeks past their prime. While sunflowers weren't in the cards for us, we did enjoy biking through the golden Tuscan fields and watching farmers tend to their sheep. It was nice to simply get away from the main tourist spots and get a glimpse of local life.

“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.”

— Anna Akhmatova

Rome

Our time in Rome felt like one big scavenger hunt. We had less than 24 hours in the city, which meant we tried to check off as many things from the map as possible. Trevi Fountain? Check. Pantheon? Check. St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum? Check, check.

Thinking back, it's nice to have photos of these amazing buildings and be able to say I saw them. But, running (well, ambling in our case) from site to site isn't something I'd recommend. I wish I had time to give each building the attention it deserves. Each one has a story and a lesson to be learned. I much prefer spending quality time at each site and we didn't get a chance to do that in Rome.

“Rome is not like any other city. It’s a majestic museum, a living room to tiptoe through.”

— Alberto Sordi

Amalfi

Our last stop in Italy was the Amalfi coast. From Rome, we took the high speed Italo train to Salerno. On the way, we passed Mount Vesuvius, an active volcano with smoke coming out of the top. 

We decided to stay at a B&B in Salerno and take day trips to Amalfi and Positano via the ferry.

On our first full day, Steve surprised me by chartering a boat to take us along the coast. This was one of the best days of our honeymoon trip. Our guide, Antonio, was a 22 year old from Minori who patiently showed us all the sites and took 4932043 photos of us when I asked. He was awesome.

The Amalfi coast is made up of five main towns: Amalfi, Praiano, Positano, Maiori, and Minori. Antonio pointed out each town as we passed by. He stopped and showed us the kissing elephant rock formation, Pandora's Cave, and he let us swim near the Li Galli islands. Bluest waters I've ever seen.

On our second day, we explored Amalfi on our own and ended up hiking to Ravello. A steep climb, mostly in the sun, weaving through the forms on the edge of the mountain. What was really a 1.5 hour hike felt like 4 hours of back-breaking work. That Lucifer heat wave was no joke.

“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.”

— Giuseppe Verdi

In 9 whirlwind days, we visited the whimsical waterways of Venice, the bustling streets of Florence, the crowded piazzas of Rome, and the hidden beaches of the Amalfi coast. Italy is a place I'll never forget.