chicago

today, mom and i:

met my friend matt at the train station and had a delightful brunch with matt and his mom in greektown at meli;

 

went to wicker park and stumbled upon a street festival for hipsters (and their hipster children);

found a new favorite used bookstore;     perused a vintage flea market;

and went to millennium park to hear the grant park orchestra play mexican classical music

(and also to see the giant bean).

pittsburgh

during our four-hour layover in pittsburgh, mom and i had dinner with my high-school friend andy and got a tour of his swanky new regent square apartment. 

we boarded the train for chicago at midnight and got a much better night’s sleep than i’d anticipated, thanks in large part to mom’s thoughtful gift of a “sleep kit” comprising a travel blanket, inflatable pillow and eye mask (photographic evidence of said eye mask to follow).

we started our day with books and coffee in the observation car and pulled into chicago just in time for brunch (those of you who know me well are likely not surprised that 'brunch' seems to be emerging already as a theme for this month-long endeavor.)  five points for the first person who correctly identifies my mom's fellow passengers in this picture.

lancaster

the highlight of the first leg of my journey was running into kabi, a lifelong mentor and friend, on the train from new york to lancaster.  kabi had spent the day in new york and was also heading back to lancaster, and my mom had told her that we would be on the same train.  she tracked me down and we had a wonderful conversation about serious contemporary fiction, life, love, and theological education.

i’m about to consume a delicious-looking sendoff brunch before mom and i depart for pittsburgh and chicago.  hopefully hans can tear himself away from his beloved mac long enough to join me. 

the route.