In mid-May of this past year, two of my best gal pals and I made a trip to Chicago. We were going to be there for five whole days, and we wanted to make sure we made the best of it.
Our primary reason for going to Chicago in the first place was that the magnificent, talented, superb, one of a kind boy group BTS was making a stop on their world tour there, and you know we just had to get tickets for both days of the concert (which I could write a whole article on entirely). But, seeing as we were going to a city with so much to offer, we wanted to get the full experience. Let me tell you, we truly were living the tourist life.
The first stop we made on our trip was to the Smart Art Museum at the University of Chicago.
All of us are suckers for a good art museum, and the Smart didn't disappoint at all. It gave us the perfect chance to take some aesthetic photos for the 'Gram and just, in general, gave us an exciting start to our day.
Teaghen Wilkerson
We also had to try some Chicago deep-dish pizza and before we made our way to the concert.
We stopped at the famed Giordano's, and after waiting in line for probably an hour and a half, we finally got to witness the deliciousness that is Chicago-style pizza.
Teaghen Wilkerson
Finally, it was time for part one of the whole reason why we even made the trip: BTS at Soldier Field.
I had been looking forward to this moment for years, literally. And it didn't disappoint. To say I cried a lot is an understatement. Even if it was cold and raining, I have never had the time of my life like this.
Teaghen Wilkerson
Our next day in the Windy City started even colder than the day before (I think it was about 45 degrees and, you know, windy), so naturally, the activity we picked was outside.
We wound up at Lincoln Park Zoo and were honestly a little underwhelmed. Since it was so cold, none of the animals (except a really cool lion) wanted to be out in their enclosures. And unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the time we were there, but it was still a good time!
Then, we headed to the second day of the concert. Even though we felt pretty much miserable from the weather, we still had a lot better of a time on day two than day one.
The energy from the boys was up so much. We didn't think they could get any better than how they performed the first day, but we were mistaken. It was so mind-blowing just how awesome it was and it isn't even something I can describe. I was in a total euphoric state. After we got back to our Airbnb, we all got super warm under our blankets and watched Criminal Minds until we got too tired to stay up any longer.
Teaghen Wilkerson
We were honestly pretty exhausted and tired of being in the cold the next day. We spent it recovering from the days before and just ordered pizza, stayed warm, and enjoyed each other's precious company.
The next day, however, we really lived the tourist dreams.
We went to Millennium Park for the day and saw the one, the only, the Bean (or Cloud Gate or whatever). There were so many cool things we got to see there, but the Bean was totally the highlight. Funnily enough, with all the bad weather we had had since we had been there, this was the first super sunshiny day and I got a sunburn.
Teaghen Wilkerson
... She's just such a beautiful sight ...
Teaghen Wilkerson
We also went to this really awesome vegan restaurant for lunch, and our stomachs definitely thanked us. If you ever go to The Chicago Diner, get the Cajun burger and then the carrot cake milkshake, you'll thank me later. Everything about it was delicious.
Teaghen Wilkerson
We also took the time to drive around a lot while we were in the city. All the skyscrapers and life was so picturesque and made me feel so excited.
Am I looking into grad schools in Chicago because of how much I loved it? Perhaps. In all seriousness, it is a beautiful place and there is so much I want to see that we didn't get the chance to go to or experience.
Whether it's in the heart of the city, the quaint neighborhoods and communities on the outskirts, or in the more rural areas, there is so much to experience. I wouldn't trade this trip for the world. And I am SO glad I had my two best friends by my side to go through our first "adult" trip together.
Courtesy of Teaghen Wilkerson
If you're thinking about visiting the Windy City, please do it. The driving may be stressful (trust me, I drove the whole time) and the weather may not always be what you expect (like winter temperatures in the summer), but that should never take away from all the fun you can really have there.
Once you go, you'll be planning your next trips there again. I know I am.