Chicago: After years away from any type of regular blogging schedule, I’ve decided to try beginning again. Blogging is too grandiose a description for what this exercise is to me. Blogging suggest that I am entering into the activity with the expectation of a readership. Should someone stumble across my posts and read them, great! If not, I will not express surprise. To me, this is journaling or diary-keeping. So let’s get started.
I flew up to Chicago on an early flight from Orlando and spent the first part of the day at a trade convention (ITW – International Telecoms Week). After heading back to the hotel, I met with one of my clients and caught up on work until going for an afternoon walk. That’s when I took my first “me” moments of the day to be in the moment.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the motions of a task (meetings, emails, calls) that you don’t really live in the moment. My walk opened my senses up to experience the sights, sounds, and feel of one of our nation’s great cities. The towering buildings, the expanses of concrete, the mash of people, and the cacophony of traffic, pedestrians, and sirens was an exciting departure from suburban Orlando where I call home. I do love the personality of this city — although as an occasional counterpoint to my Florida lifestyle. (I’m not moving North anytime soon).
A couple of work colleagues and I capped the night off with a dinner at Quartino — a well -reviewed restaurant next door to our hotel. Think of it as an Italian version of a tapas bar. The food was delightful and the restaurant vibe was fun and inviting. I enjoyed Peroni, a meat and cheese plate, caprese salad, porcini and truffle risotto, and a banana and gelato confection.