My desire to visit the much-acclaimed Chicago was an itch I had been dying to scratch for quite some time.  Several years ago, I forged a friendship with a number of colleagues while working for a client in Long Island.  Several days a week, we would have team dinners and play tennis; we even managed to score Knicks tickets at some point.  I look back fondly on that project.  It was a good project which yielded equally good company.  But I digress…  Many of my colleagues there were actually based out of our Chicago office and would travel in from the windy city each week.  Aside from the nightmarish winter stories they told, all of them seemed to adore the city and openly gushed about how great it was just about any chance they had.  As the project came to a close, I was extended warm and open invitations from a bunch of them to visit anytime.  Check that…Anytime but winter. 

As we all went our separate ways, one colleague in particular named Manish, whom I had become especially close with would reach out to me every 3 – 6 months to see when I was planning to visit.  Each time I would offer up a deep sigh wrapped in a polite decline.  I even had a few tentative travel dates set up, but it just seemed life kept getting in the way.  Was this trip ever going to happen?  continue reading »