Fields and Fine Linen: Chicago

Hectic and tiring.

As good as this summer has been, it has been hectic and tiring. For the last 4 months, we've had packing and unpacking, sanding and painting, cleaning and organizing, trips and company, tests and appointments, projects and paperwork up the metaphorical wazoo.

Don't get me wrong- we've been very blessed, but down time has been sparse. After the whirlwind of the last 4 months, John and I decided to take a short, one night getaway to Chicago.

And despite the temperature reaching 100 degrees (!), it was just what we needed.

Even when we were in Florida for a summer, I don't think I saw our car thermometer read 100*!

First stop: Millennium Park

I've always wanted to see the Cloud Gate sculpture in person, so we dragged ourselves through the park, dripping and sweating all the while. I'll say: it was worth suffering the heat! It is really quite a remarkable piece; it seems as though it dripped down from the sky in liquid form, like mercury, without beginning or end. One seamless whole. If it wasn't so hot I think we cold have stayed and stared for a white but we were eager to get back into the air conditioning!

Check out that sweet couple holding hands behind us :)

We spent the night relaxing in our hotel and hit up IKEA the next morning to pick up a new bed frame for our guest room (pics to come). After IKEA we headed back into Chicago and took a long walk down the Navy Pier which was bustling with people. We were there on a Monday so I can't even imagine how busy it must be on weekends!

It was stifling hot again on Monday, but we did get some relief on the pier with a gusty wind. Figured out why they call it the "windy city" at least.

And we finished our visit with a long-craved dinner of Ethiopian cuisine. If you're ever in the Chicago area, this place is worth visiting. Sour and fluffy injera, spicy stews, and a beer named after the elephant who killed one of the brewery's founders. Really, what more could a person want for dinner?