A short stop in Chicago

At Birmingham Airport ready to go!

Sunday morning my youngest daughter, Ebee, dropped me off at the Birmingham airport where I caught a plane to Chicago and met up with my middle daughter, Whitney.

She took the train downtown and met me on the Roosevelt Orange Line platform. From there she kindly carried my backpack for a few blocks in the South Loop where we stopped for some much-needed lunch before taking the bus up to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Whenever I'm on the bus in Chicago, I always think about how interesting the people are there. Do you think I will see more interesting people in India? 

At the MCA we checked out an new exhibit of contemporary artists who have been inspired by one of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo. The exhibit was really interesting and while we were walking around looking at various paintings, photographs, and sculptures, I was surprised and delighted to find a familiar piece among the items on display. I said to myself, "My students would recognize that piece right away!!" What a lucky coincidence! 

I snapped a picture to show you (It was a good chance to practice with my new camera. Figuring out how to turn off the flash is always a bit tricky but it's so important to know how to do it so you don't get into trouble with the security guards!)

Attention MA Third Grade:
Can you name this artist or her home country?
(Hint: World Cup 2014)

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I was also blown away by these "fluffy" pillows
which look so comfortable but are actually as hard as rocks
--really, they're carved from marble! Can you believe it?

After visiting the museum, I practiced more for my trip by carrying my heavy backpack through the crowded streets of downtown Chicago. I waded through all the Fourth of July tourist traffic on the Magnificent Mile and made it to the subway station without falling over under the weight of my pack. Once I learned that I can use the waist strap to take the pressure off my shoulders, I was a much happier camper.  (**a special THANK YOU to Lydia Miller for lending me her dad's wonderful backpack for this trip**) 

Whitney's foster cat Winter loves the backpack too.