Back from Chicago after the perfect amount of time spent there. We still had some stuff left on the list but I was at my limit of pavement-pounding, museum-ogling, L-train riding urban American goodness. Highlights include: riding the flying raccoon (an airline Zara and I can agree on), various encounters with gruff Chicagoans (man are they gruff), cafe/bar-hopping through North Chicago whilst waiting for Second City to start, argument about Combos over delicious Cajun dinner, winding up in the middle of a kazillion little cheerleaders at Navy Pier (which really ignited my feminist ire). Etc etc.

Now I'm back and ready to work like a fiend for the rest of this break. Getting back to Toronto/Guelph I felt no sense of happiness/relief/home. I am trying to love this place but just can't make a connection to it. I feel the same way towards Vancouver. Maybe I'm just a very black-and-white person, I don't like something at all until I'm head-over-heels for it. Maybe I'm built for rural lands. Maybe living the grad-student life is not conducive to connecting to the community. Maybe maybe maybe. I will continue to ponder this.