Travel & Hotspots

CHICAGO DIARY

Kiki was there for 48 hours and got hooked

Yesterday I tagged you all along on my Iceland adventure with Icelandair and today it’s time for the second half of my trip: Chicago. Holy bleep what a city… I could definitely live there. After a six hour flight (and a huge bag of salted popcorn, a salad, five pieces of gum and three horrible movie later) we arrived at the colossal airport in Chicago. Where customs is always so extremely strict that my heart starts racing a couple beats faster than usual when the security dog spends just a little too long sniffing my suitcase. The only thing that shoots through my mind is: get the hell away animal, which the dog seems to understand. Praise the lord. (And no, I don’t carry around things I shouldn’t be.)

“Here’s a quick tip from my end: always say that your trip is for pleasure”

Here’s a quick tip for all you up and coming journalists who are going on a press trip to The Land of the Hamburgers, there is one rule when you go through customs: when they ask you why are going to be treading the ground of the holy land, tell them it’s for ‘pleasure’.  Instead of well, uh, business, even if it’s a press trip. Don’t do it, you’ll make them suspicious, the questions will only get more complicated by the minute and you can find yourself spending the night in a cell or catching the next flight straight back to where you came from. With the warmest regards from Chicago. Guys, it’s happened to people in my network, I’m serious. Just so you know.

Anyways, survived customs. Once we arrived at our extremely chic boutique hotel Allegro in the middle of the city center, I get surprised with the sweetest birthday message. Next to my bed in my hotel room theres a note with an illustrated cat which says ‘Happy Purrrthday Kiki! Enjoy your stay and your kitty cat friend!’ And as if they’ve known me for ages: two cupcakes. HOW. SWEET. IS. THAT.  No better way to start off my 2 days in Chicago.

“In the evening we grabbed dinner at 312 Chicago, ate some mozzarella and calamaris and for the first time during the trip I felt like a true birthday girl.”

It’s already quite dark out when we arrive, but I still can’t help walking around a couple blocks to act like a tourist and see the city. The buildings are insane. As is the light. If someone were to tell me I was in New York, I would believe them. In the evening we grabbed dinner at 312 Chicago, ate some mozzarella and calamaris and for the first time during the trip I felt like a true birthday girl. With a group of five other people who just a mere day ago were complete strangers. That’s how quickly your life can change in 24 hours. Just like the kitty cat on my nightstand, I roll into my bed. Only to wake up again at one o’clock. Three o’clock. Four thirty. Flying back in time does some crazy shit to you.

The following day we have a tighter than tight agenda, and I swear it guys, Beyoncé’s agenda is nothing compared to this. From one cool food joint to another (I’ll make sure to write about all the cool hotspots soon) and the portions of food are so big that I can’t stop laughing. And eating. And then I start crying. My blueberry pancakes are so massive that I wonder whether I might have made a mistake and ordered a family sized portion. As you know, I’d much rather be a ‘fat girl’ than a ‘fit girl’ but this beats everything. We walk around Millennium Park east side of the famous Michigan Avenue. If you’re ever in Chicago, you have to drop by this highlight. Even if it’s just to take a shameless selfie at the Cloud Gate, a big mirrored cloud which is about ten meters long and looks like a kidney bean.

‘Went to Sprinkles for some cupcakes, you know, that pink ATM machine you always see on your Instagram’

And as always goes on press trips: time flies by. On the last day in Chicago, I left the group to do something I have wanted to do for a long time: meet up with my friend Isabelle, who I once met during a press trip to Capri. Enfin, she’s been living in America for about eight months now and once this trip had been booked I sent her an immediate text: ‘ISA, I’M COMING FOR YOU!!!’ And if she’d be up to show me all the cool things in the city the four hours I had to spare before we would be flying back. And so we decided to go shopping. We dropped by Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, had a glass of white wine at the Rock Bottom rooftop bar with the most insane view ever. I had stopped by Dunkin’ Donuts to bring some back home with me. Took some more ugly selfies on every bridge we could find. Dropped by the biggest candy store ever. Went to Sprinkles for some cupcakes, you know, that pink ATM machine you always see on your Instagram that allows you to get cupcakes instead of money.

Then we headed to the beach to eat all the sweet treated we had gotten and watched the bright blue ocean and nude male torso’s playing beach volleyball. A bit of red velvet in the sun. Life is good. America is good. I’m going to end this by saying: I could live here.

P.S.: want to head to Chicago via Iceland too?

Starting this month, Icelandair will be flying to Chicago, through Iceland if you want, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam). You can personally decided whether or not you want a stopover on the Island (of max. seven days) before heading off to Chicago, without increasing the price tag of your flight. What do you mean kill a dozen birds with one stone? It’s insane. I’m sold. You can book a return flight with Icelandair from €425,-.