Chicago

I've lived in Virginia since I was five and have rarely traveled -- I can't remember the last time I was North of the Mason-Dixon line, and I've never even so much as THOUGHT about the Midwest -- so I was a bit apprehensive about spending my winter holidays in what my mother kept referring to as "a cold land" (which she said while fake shivering). As it turns out though, Chicago ROCKS (despite an abudance of fur-coat-wearing bitches).

For starters, it wasn't very cold, so all that pre-Chicago freaking out I did about sweaters and boots and mittens and hats was pretty unnecessary, much like the rest of the freaking out I do. I suspect, however, that Chicago does get cold, as I saw signs that said things like "Caution: Falling Ice" and "No Parking When Snow Is Over Two Inches." Such signs aside, I also suspect that Chicago never gets quite cold enough to warrant a fur coat. (Unless, of course, your goal is to spend eternity burning in hell.)

I myself might spend eternity burning in hell after languishing in bed at The Drake Hotel every day until noon, but that's another story entirely.

I did see some typical Chicago stuff -- Millenium Park, with its incredibly cool Cloud Gate sculpture; the Art Institute, where I fell madly in love with Harald Sohlberg's Fisherman's Cottage; Lake Michigan at Oak Street Beach, which has sand AND shells AND seaweed; and the quitessentially cheesey Navy Pier -- and I ate lots of good food, including deep dish pizza at Pizano's and the best damn eggplant parmesan EVER at Club Lago. But mostly I wandered around admiring the kick-ass architecture.

I also rode the EL up to Andersonville to have lunch -- and then glögg -- with Lulu before attending Some Guy's Chicago-area blogger get-together, which was lots of fun.

Okay, so I know it's not that exciting to hear about somebody else's trip, but my point is that something about Chicago was pretty fucking awesome.