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For St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I booked a trip to Chicago with my boyfriend. I’ve already written a little about the trip and this post leaves off where those posts ended. You can read all of my St. Patrick’s Day related posts here.
So, up until this point, it had been a pretty family-friendly day in Chicago. We had seen the green river and people from all over the world — young and old — gathered for the parade.
But then, the energy shifted right around the time we decided to leave the parade. The crowd of people bottle-necked in front of us seemed a little more unruly than they were before and there were way more snatches of slurred conversation. People were getting drunker, sloppier, and pushier. It was definitely time for us to go.
But even as we began to walk away, things just got stranger. How so? Oh, let me count the ways!
1. The Police Running.
It’s never a good sign if you see a police officer running — let alone multiple ones. Actually, that may be the universal sign for BAD BAD BAD.
And typically (though this was not a typical situation in the least), I would be darting off in a different direction — you know, since I value self-preservation and all. But oddly enough, I was calm about it and followed in the direction of the police and the chaos. But that’s probably because of…
2. The Cheap Drinks.
So, okay, I admit that maybe I was a tiny bit tipsy by this point.
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But it wasn’t just so I could get sloshed like everyone else — I was actually doing it as a service to myself and the warmth of my body. Because, you know, we were in The Windy City after all and I was not about freezing my limbs off just to see a parade. So, yes, I may have taken a few swigs of brandy from an unsuspicious-looking bottle we had packed with us. And it’s okay if that doesn’t sound classy because there were people who were way worse. Like the guys we came across who were entangled in…
3. A Drunken Fight.
That’s probably what distracted me from the police running. And normally fights terrify me, too (though, come to think of it, have I really ever seen a fight in person?), but those guys were so drunk and slow and not knowing what they were doing, it just was kind of fascinating.
People were gathered around, watching as their friends tried to split them up. The aggressor seemed so angry, but I would bet a million dollars that if we asked him today, he wouldn’t be able to remember why. But that was over very quickly and so we headed into…
4. The Massive Downtown Crowds.
All I could remember thinking was: where did these people come from? It’s like everyone showed up in the same spot downtown at once.
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And the weird thing was that there wasn’t really movement — everyone was sort of standing still and wondering what was going on. But that’s probably because of…
5. The Sirens and Ambulances.
Flashing lights slowly tried to make their way through the streets covered by drunk people wearing green. This — with the combination of the police officers running — did make me feel a little worried. But that’s when Tyler asked me if I wanted some candy. “Where’d you get candy from?” I asked him. And he responded with…
6. The Mysterious Bag of Candy That Just Appeared At His Feet.
We had no idea where it came from and for a moment I wondered if this was one of those after-school-special moments where I should just say no.
But then I shrugged, chalked it up to the weirdness that was crushing us on all sides, and ate as many Laffy Taffy candies as I could.
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Fueled by a sugar rush, we crossed through Millennium Park (where there were even more drunk people) to get a lay of the land.
That’s when we realized we were totally hungry and it became a dilemma. Downtown was totally packed — what would we do?!? We’d have to brave the crowds and find something!
So, we gave Panera a try. And then we saw lines worthy of Space Mountain at Disney World on a crowded summer day. So, we left, went around the corner, and serendipitously happened across a French cafe called Toni’s.
I was in heaven. I saw macarons, I saw baguettes, and I also saw a haven away from the craziness. The cafe was populated, but it wasn’t crowded. We quickly found a table for ourselves and proceeded to have a very delicious lunch while I passionately told Tyler my critiques of the improv show we had seen the night before (I was quite the improv-geek in high school and college).
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It was great to get away from the chaos, but at the same time, I kind of loved it.
And listen, I know it’s the kind of thing a lot of people would actually hate. It’s the kind of thing that you’d probably want to avoid if you had kids. Or maybe even if you’re older than 21, haha.
But I found it to be so intriguing and energizing!
Perhaps it was the buzz of energy all around us. Or the fact that a bunch of people — adults — were acting like kids and getting so into the holiday. It’s so rare to see people let their hair down in public and just have a good time — and I loved that. And I think I enjoyed it because even with all the chaos, I never felt unsafe. I never felt threatened. Yes, even with po-po’s running and fights breaking out a few feet in front of me.
What I was seeking when I booked the trip was something out of the ordinary and I definitely got it. When I looked around at all the other weirdoes in green, I thought: “I’m somewhere special in the world — somewhere unique — doing something unusual. And it feels pretty good.”
So, yes, downtown may have been a hot mess but there as a big part of me that kinda sorta loved it.
What about you? Do you have a guilty pleasure event that you love? Something you’re kind of reluctant to admit but really enjoy?
And read about my other experiences in Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day: The Green River & The Parade
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Travel Tuesdays are grab-bag posts every week that are a part of the Travel Tuesdays Linkup hosted by Bonnie Rose, Melanie, and Tina. Read all of my posts related to this topic by clicking here.