Chicago: My American Oasis

So, after spending five months abroad, you start to miss certain things. You miss being able to drive around wherever you want (even though public transportation definitely has its positives). You miss stores being open until late into the evening and on Sundays. You miss some of your favorite foods that either don’t quite match up or don’t exist where you live abroad (Chipotle and Quaker Steak and Lube are my go-to examples here). Much like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert, being in Chicago for approximately 72 hours (over two short-lived stays) was my chance to experience some of my favorite American things again!

Truth be told, I was a little bit caught off guard by hearing so many people around me speaking English. Prominently on the subway, I would hear people talking and think to myself, “I wonder where he/she is from… He/She speaks English very well.” In the next moment, I would be mentally kicking myself because of the ridiculousness of my most recent thought process. I guess things are a little bit different when you come back. Haha!

On my first swing-through, I got to have pizza with real pepperonis! Despite many rumors and attempts to find such things, I have been unsuccessful in my endeavor (until landing in New York that is). I was also able to have Chipotle (the burrito claiming to be the size of a small infant), but forgot to take my phone, so no pictures of that (probably a good thing)… Oh yes, and I was reintroduced to one of my favorite things: hockey! Not only was I able to watch hockey again, I was lucky enough to go to the stadium and watch the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.

Now, admittedly, my favorite team is the Columbus Blue Jackets (who didn’t stand a chance in hell of playing in the Stanley Cup Finals this year) and the Pittsburgh Penguins are a close second. But I wasn’t going to miss this crazy, random happenstance of being in the same city as the Stanley Cup Finals! If you heard anything about the game, you will know that Chicago won, which was great for the fact that the city was incredibly excited about their team claiming the first win of the 7-game series.

However, you may have also heard that the game went into triple overtime. Now don’t get me wrong, I love hockey and overtime games are really intense. However, hockey periods are 20 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission. Estimating stoppage time and delays, we have about 2 hours for a game. Overtime periods in the playoffs are also 20 minutes, with the same 15-minute intermission. Don’t forget, my flight landed earlier that day, so at the start of the game, I had been up for 26 hours in a row. Now the game is over 3 hours, and it seems like I’m in purgatory: the place where things go on and on and on and just never end.

Fortunately for me (and all of the other Chicago fans, but we’re focusing on me right now), the Blackhawks scored in amazing (and incredibly lucky) fashion off of a twice tipped shot coming from near the blue line capping an incredible come from behind victory. The Blackhawks had been losing 3-1 in the 3^rd (and final) period of the game before the rally began, and they managed to pull off an incredible victory that would eventually lead to their second Stanley Cup Champions title in 4 years.

On my second go-around in Chicago (lasting approximately 26 hours), I met up with my cousin, Linda. She took my friend TJ and I out to the beach where hundreds of people were swimming, tanning, flirting, laughing, enjoying the sun, and, my favorite: playing sand volleyball! I miss playing with my friends from SigEp in Cincinnati. We went out for some good-ole Chicago style deep dish pizza afterwards, and it was fantastic. Really hit the spot! I was also able to pick up some supplies and presents for my German friends, including Reese’s Cups, Mountain Dew, and real syrup (Mrs. Butterworth’s) for pancakes!

It was great to be with family and to experience some American things again, even if it was only for a brief moment. My grandparents said they “don’t know how I manage to fit so much into so little time”, and I honestly think the answer is “out of necessity”. Not that I have to do anything that I do, but I have to live up every minute of every day, which is the necessity of my life. I won’t lie though, I did need some extensive recuperation upon my return to Germany (I slept for 13 hours in a row!).