How To Be A Tourist

...in Chicago...

I promise to keep these recaps short & sweet! Trust me...I know there's nothing more obnoxious than reading hours and hours about someone else's lavish vacation...

Jacket in 70 degree weather. Check.

Cross body bag that screams "I'M NOT FROM HERE". Check.

Canon rebel + 2 lenses. Check.

Convince your BIFF and her husband to drive 5 hours to join you and be in complete shock when she actually agrees to do it!

(BIFF = best internet friend forever)

Ask your hotel concierge for the best pizza recommendation in town. Gino's East...duh!

Eat deep dish pizza even though you gave up cheese over a year ago. 

I've never met a piece of pizza I didn't like and this was no different!

Stop for a photo op every .5 seconds.

Yes our outfits are matching. No they were not planned. Yes we have ESPN.

Hold hands while crossing the street.

Don't forget to look both ways!

Visit Millennium Park.

Drink cappuccino at 5pm because 65 degrees to a Texan is  freezing cold.

Make your husband pose for random photos with another man
because honestly, these two are just too darn cute to not.

Make the obligatory pit stop at the bean. Smile!

Order the Seafood Platter from Shaw's Crab House. 

Stop & grab a Starbucks because, hey, there's four on every corner. Might as well.

Do lunch at Sweetwater Tavern & Grille.

And do not order ANYTHING except for the pulled pork nachos. 

Pay a visit to good ol' Navy Pier!

Walk to Lake Michigan every single day...

...and knock off #13 on your 30 Before 30 list..."Swim in Lake Michigan". 

(This was as close to "swimming as it was going to get...)

Enjoy your very first Crumbs experience and remind yourself that it is worth every. single. calorie.

Dance the night away at a bar called "Social 25" to a band called "Recycle the Day"

Soak up every last minute you have to spend with your "midwestern" bestie because though you've enjoyed adventures in Florida, Ohio, Texas (twice!) and now Chicago together, the time spent with one another over a quick weekend trip is just never, ever, ever enough.

Not pictured:

• Stay at the Ritz Carlton in Downtown Chicago
• Eat cheesecake at 3am from the comfort of your hotel bed
• Totally whip some college kid's butts whilst playing beer pong at Trinity
• Ward creepers off your BIFF when things get outta hand at 'said' beer pong bar
• Purchase a new bra from Victoria's Secret because yours sucks and you needed a souvenir from Chicago, anyways
• Attempt to enjoy drinks on top of Trump Tower but realize the drinks cost an arm and leg (no lie) so instead, just take in the scenery
• Go (or don't go) to a very odd/secretive/Alice in Wonderland type lounge that forbids you to act any different than you would at your mother's house for Sunday dinner (Weird? Yes.) 
• Stalk Joanna Krupa because according to her Instagram, she's in Chicago, too
• Chase Rasheed Wallace through the hotel lobby because you might not know who he is but your husband says he's famous
• Go on the architecture boat tour & be simply amazed by the tallest buildings in all the land
• Pretend to be an Ohio State fan at McGee's
• Order truffle mac & cheese from State Bar and consider your life to be changed for-ev-er
• Devour ice cream at Ghiradelli's at 11pm
• Make some of the absolute BEST and most hysterical memories in places like the elevator and a cab #whoalady #quitbeing... 
• Take a later flight home in lieu of a couple Southwest airline vouchers and start planning your next trip to see one another! :) Thanks, Southwest!

Coming up next...Oooh's and Ahhhrchitectures!