My Chicago Trip Part 4: Final Thoughts


As I have already said, Chicago as vaulted to the top of my favorite U.S. cities. That's really saying a lot because I love San Diego. Here are some random observations I made and my final thoughts on the trip/city:

- Every one there was very friendly. From people on the street, to most restaurants, to places we visited, everyone we came in contact with was very nice.

- There are a lot of single people in Chicago. I'm sure it is probably like that in most large cities, but I noticed it there more. More people shopping alone, walking alone, eating alone and just generally alone.

- That place is IPod nation. I felt like we needed to go buy one just so we wouldn't look like tourist. Everyone had them and they were constantly listening to them.

- We took our best cloths and we were still under dressed. It was the dressiest city I have ever been to. Everyone was always dressed business casual at all hours of the day/night.

- Surprisingly it was a very clean city. The streets and parks were actually cleaner then the cities around where I live. They had people at all hours of the day sweeping the sidewalks and streets.

- Very easy to get around. Buses and train were at every corner and your wait was never more then a couple of minutes. After a day we knew the bus routes well enough that we never had any trouble.

The longer I stayed, the less and less I wanted to leave. I could totally see myself living there or in a large city like it one day. My heart broke for the loneliness I felt from everyone I passed. If God opened a door for me to do ministry there, I'd go in a heart beat. Unlike the south where there is a church on every corner and each is full with folks who don't give a crap about their faith or anyone else, I really think a place like Chicago, Seattle, Portland, etc. would be more of a challenge but much more fruitful. Who knows, maybe God had more in mind for that trip then just a vacation for me and Beth.

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