22 Hours of Go, Go, Go

After we arrived in Chicago, we had eight hours to kill. "What should we do?" Staying in the airport would be no fun, so we found our way to The L. The train system was massive and efficient and everyone seemed to use it. It took us 45 minutes to get to downtown and we were greeted with giant skyscrapers and power drills. The noise and scale of the city swept us away, and we couldn't help but constantly look up.

We eventually got to Millennium Park, the classic Chicago attraction. I was particularly set on seeing the famous Cloud Gate, or The Bean as it is known to many people. Even though I had seen who knows how many pictures of it on Facebook, I was still in awe.

Cloud Gate was enormous and unique. The way everything was reflected in it gave it a sort of fisheye look. We lucked out and got the perfect day for it as well. It was a lovely blue day, but there were clouds in the sky, which made the scene much more interesting. Dad and I were the classic tourists. "Let me take your picture! ... My turn!" However, I didn't care. There were groups from all over the country that had come to see The Bean. It was just so wonderful, it was hard to not stare and take a million photos. Because it's shaped like a bean, you can go underneath it and boy, did that make me feel sick. The visual underneath completely messes with your brain. You have no idea if it's hollow or goes up really high; you look around, there you are! Oh but turn a bit and there you are again! Look up? There's a million of you. It was great, but I couldn't stay underneath too long. My stomach couldn't handle it.

I sat by Cloud Gate for a good hour, maybe more. It made me feel calm. And the people-watching was top notch. After a little while though, we headed over to the Shedds Aquarium. We had to stand in line for a long time, while listening to a British woman behind us tell an extremely long story about getting engaged and then getting married. "It was like so coote. He like, got down on one knee and said 'marry me?' And I was like, "Oh my god, YES." I'm talking about a thirty minute story here. Dad and I did our best to stay patient but I may or may not have let out a few eye rolls.

As the line finally moved forward, "yes, we're almost there! So close!" "Whoa, hang on guys, we're going to stop the line right there with you two." NO. We listened to the greeters stories about the animals at the aquarium and his two hour commute to work and then finally made it into the aquarium. The air conditioned space was very welcoming. Even though we only had an hour before we needed to head back to the airport, we fit in a lot of viewing. Sea turtles, electric eels, a 21 foot anaconda, beluga whales, and jellyfish were just a few of the things we saw. Not only that, but they had an attraction for touching sting rays! They are surprisingly smooth and soft, I must say. It was definitely a highlight.

We then took The L back to the airport and made it through security with plenty of time to spare. After our two hour stop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we can finally say we have made it to Costa Rica. Luggage, immigration, and customs all went smoothly, which was a relief. However, when we walked out the door, we were mobbed by people. "You need taxi? I'll take you!" "You know where you're going? Don't worry. I take you." "HEY. I'M A TAXI." I felt overwhelmed. However, after a quick call to our hotel, we figured out what to do and who to drive us and we made it safely!

Our hotel, Adventure Inn, is very charming and the staff are extremely friendly. They seemed genuinely happy we were there. After bringing us to our room, we took off our shoes and got comfortable. We are excited to sleep but have yet another early morning tomorrow: an 8am flight that will take us to Drake Bay where the real adventure begins.

Look out Drake Bay! Here come the Romeys... after a quick night of rest.