Last week I had the amazing opportunity to go on one of my favorite vacations ever. Chicago. My sister graduated from high school and for her senior trip she wanted to go see the Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley (my family have been Cubs fans since…always. Weird, I know).

We got up real early on Tuesday and caught our flight to Chicago. After a rain delay we were able to see a late Cubs game vs. the Oakland A’s. There is nothing better than the ballpark atmosphere. The camaraderie is infectious, and the dedication to the team, while found with each time, is a unique brand when it comes to the Cubs. Because we suck. But even though we lost, this game was so fun. I love Carlos Zambrano and Marlon Byrd and DLee. So fun.

On Wednesday we got up and drove into the city. We had a delicious lunch/dinner at Maggiano’s (best classy mafia-style Italian restaurant ever), and then hung out downtown. I absolutely fell in love with the city. We didn’t go to the South side because, obviously, we wanted to stay alive. But downtown is fantastic.

I love that all of the buildings have a unique history, and that they are from all different time periods and reflect different architectural styles. I mean, I’m walking past a Gothic style cathedral covered in ivy, and then cross the street to go into H&M or the Apple store. I love the residential high-risers with balconies and rooftop gardens. I knew I didn’t love nature and general outdoorsy-ness, but I always liked living in Mapleton with fields and yards and deer running around. Now, I think I may actually be a city girl, through and through.

Thursday we went to a day game and sat in the bleachers. The experience is awesome. Drunk, shirtless guys, tons and tons of cussing, and eating hot dogs. It was so so so so hot. But way fun. Afterwards we went to see A-Team, which was fantastic (2nd time for me). Loved it. I’m thinking about doing movie reviews on this blog. But that’s a tangent. The Cubs won, so this was one of my favorite days, but also because we ate at Pizzeria Uno – Home of the Deep Dish Pizza. BEST. PIZZA. I. HAVE. EVER. HAD.

Friday we drove downtown and ate at the Melting Pot for my dad’s bday/father’s day celebration, Part One. For some reason we were super giggly and ridiculous this entire day. There was a crazy storm that afternoon and evening. Trees falling down and whatnot. It was so fun to sit with the lights out and watch it out the glass balcony doors of our hotel room.

Saturday we went to another day game, this time vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. We saw Toy Story 3, and it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. We laughed throughout the entire thing, and I’m 90% sure my dad cried at the end.

Sunday as we were checking out of our hotel, luckily my dad checked his email to find that our flight was canceled. And luckily, we were able to get another flight out. After resolving the drama we at at Weber Grill, which was delicious and then caught our flight home.

The best part of the trip? Getting to spend a week with these people.