I am (finally) home

Sue - Field Museum (Creative Common Licence for this image)

Some lessons learned from my trip:

1. Keep your beloved jacket on no matter how sweltering the airport is, because you will otherwise lay it down and it will disappear.
2. Keep your parking ticket in the car rather than taking it on the trip and apparently leaving it in the jacket that you were going to lose.
3. How to navigate the mass transit system in Chicago, and also walking through downtown/the Loop.
4. When riding an articulated bus, do not sit inside the accordion in the middle, because if the bus comes to a stop as it turns, the floor moves under your feet while you try to stand up to get off the bus.
5. Double-check your credit card, because the hotel might be charging you for a second night when that was paid for by the university.
6. Chicagoans drive like maniacs, and make plenty use of the car horn. Stare them down and keep walking, but prepare for absolutely no yielding to pedestrians.
7. After several years, you can finally get the key card to operate an elevator, repeatedly, if you just keep trying.
8. Although I had a very good time, there really is no place like home.

Still, I kept up with a CPAP, a laptop, a purse, phone, and carry-on bag, plus took off and landed safely today, so I guess overall I did pretty well. I also lucked out amazingly because I met a colleague on the council at dinner yesterday, and she was not only at the same hotel, she had her car, and she offered me a ride to the meeting this morning, so I didn't have to take the Pink Line with all my bags, and then, because she doesn't live very far from the airport, she took me there, saving me time and money for a cab or the train. I think if I'd taken the 'L', I really would have been pushing it time-wise. A cab ride would have been expensive and I've never flagged one down before. I did offer her some gas money, but she wouldn't take it. We really hit it off, and I'm glad I met her.

So, to recap:

Wednesday I:
• Flew to Chicago after an hour-and-a-half delay due to fog in Lexington.
• Took the Blue Line train to downtown
• Found my hotel, Club Quarters at Wacker and Michigan
• Ate dinner at a restaurant at Millennium Park with various medical library directors who were in for additional meetings beyond what I was in for, but they invited those of us who came early. They were very encouraging of my job hunt in face of losing the library, and had good solid suggestions for marketing myself.

Downtown at a distance

Thursday I:
• Took two buses to the Field Museum, and spent time going through the exhibits there.
• Took a bus to a seminar where three speakers gave talks on the ethics and bias related to health literacy, how the exchange system works as a result of the Affordable Care Act, and evidence-based medicine and rapid reviews as practiced by the speaker's programme. It was worth 4 contact hours and was very interesting.
• Networked with my fellow Kentucky attendees.
• Ate dinner at Park Grill again, this time with a smaller group. Met a librarian who really helped me out in terms of getting to Friday's destinations.
• Walked an ungodly amount over the course of the day, over six miles.

Lake Michigan

Friday I:
• Got up at 6 am and got ready, then checked out of my hotel.
• Met my colleague and went to the Regional Advisory Council meeting.
• Had a continental breakfast.
• Set up a meeting with our GMR state liaison, who will be in Lexington next week, to come see my library.
• Had a very good meeting. Got a review of what's going on at the Greater Midwest Region office and did an interesting activity that really brought our ideas into focus. Had a lovely lunch; the vegetarian option was mozzarella and grilled pepper sandwiches.
• Was given a ride to the airport by my colleague.
• Changed shoes and made it through security.
• Grabbed a drink at McDonald's that was about $3 and mostly ice.
• Got a couple of small souvenirs for friends.
• Promptly lost my favourite jacket, with, apparently, my ticket for the oeconomy parking at Bluegrass Airport.
• Went back to the store, but they hadn't seen it. Someone now has a very nice jacket with my hospital logo on it and gloves that work with smartphone screens. Granted, one was a gift from a boss, who bought each employee in the department their choice of a fleece jacket (mine was purple and grey, had a zipper on the arm, two other zippered pockets, and two inner ones), and the pair of gloves was given to me by a now-retired co-worker because they were too big for her, but still, I loved them. I may see if my boss still has that catalogue and if I can buy another jacket with my own money at some point. But that jacket got me through the entire winter, practically, including two major snowstorms and sub-zero teperatures (I just layered underneath it).
• Made it into Lexington without delay, despite rain.
• Changed shoes, got out the umbrella, and went to the car.
• Promptly realised the ticket was not in my purse, and got into the trunk and tore all my packed luggage apart for it.
• Went to the attendant and explained the situation. Gave him my driver's licence, my boarding passes showing when I left and came back, and he took down my licence plate # and had me sign something, then charged me the correct amount ($24 for 3 days of oeconomy parking).
• Drove through UK, downtown, and stopped at Liquor Barn for wine so I can give a libation of thanksgiving to Hekate for a safe trip.
• Stopped by Taco Bell for dinner, as I hadn't eaten since noon and I didn't really know if there was any food in the house.
• Called my friends to let them know I was home. I sounded faded, and barely had the strength to get out of the car, repack the cases, and bring everything in.
• Grabbed the mail, came inside, dropped everything on the floor, checked that the breakables made it, and then ate.

Leaving Chicago

Almost home

Now I'm very tired. It may only be 9 pm, but I think I'll unpack the CPAP machine and get ready for bed. Good night.