24 Hours in Chicago

A photo posted by Sarah • The Bella Insider (@sarah_thebella) on Nov 2, 2016 at 8:31am PDT

After asking my professor to let me take an early exam I was supposed to take on Tuesday evening, he agreed and told me to show up at his office at 7 AM that morning. Yeah…7 AM. I was like, “Say whaaattt?!” As much as I love my mornings, I love sleeping in just a tad bit more. Let’s just say I’m glad I packed my overnight bag the night before, and I woke up in time for my exam. In fact, I showed up ten minutes early! It gave me plenty of time at the airport to relax, get some work done, and watch the beautiful sunrise that morning. 

Our plane left right on time. This super soft, cozy cowl neck sweater was perfect for the ride. It was a bit bumpy, but I was more productive on the flight than any other flight I’ve been on. I’m typically a plane sleeper, so this was a big win for me. Fun fact: I always get a V-8 or ginger ale on the plane. Do any of you friends stick with the same plane drink? There’s just something comforting about habits like this!

Since I didn’t check in any luggage and sat at the front of the plane, I arrived at Midway Airport right on time. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast earlier and didn’t pack a lunch either (whoops), so I was super hungry at this point. I waited for some other ladies, Mikkaela and Alayna, to arrive, so we could head to the hotel. Once we stepped outside the airport, I was immediately struck by how gorgeous fall is in the Midwest. I made sure to quickly snap a photo from the car window.

Chicago traffic is just something else. After the long, but scenic drive, we finally arrived at our hotel. We stayed at The Radisson Blu Aqua, and goodness gracious it was stunning! The super swanky hotel boasted some beautiful views of Millenium Park. This might sound silly, but I fell in love with the teal carpet inside my room. The lobby also had this gorgeous gold fireplace. I charged all my devices, finished up some more work, and got ready for dinner. More pictures of the hotel below!

The view outside my room had Millenium Park on the right (pictured below!) and this track down below. If I had brought my running shoes, maybe I would’ve gone for a run…maybe. Haha!

A photo posted by Sarah • The Bella Insider (@sarah_thebella) on Nov 2, 2016 at 7:17pm PDT

I was completely stuffed from dinner, but some of us suggested having a second dinner at Lou Malnati’s. Unfortunately, there was a 45 minute wait at that specific location, so we went straight for dessert at Ghirardelli. Though it’s not a Chicago specialty, this location was in the beautiful Wrigley Building downtown, and that view just cannot be beat. The eight of us shared a few sundaes and cones, and we also received some hot chocolates to go. It felt so good holding my warm cup of salted hot chocolate in my hands outside in the cold, rainy weather.

I’m so glad I got to give you a little inside peek of my trip, y’all! As a student, it’s rare to get the opportunity to pack your bags and jet off someplace else without the responsibilities of books and homework. If given the chance, I think everyone should take time for themselves and experience traveling outside their own city. Unfortunately, this week of school hit me like a brick, so I had to get back to work fast! With my last lab of the semester, a major exam, an injury, the election results, and a fever with symptoms of bronchitis, it’s safe to say I want to curl up in bed for the weekend. Did you know that 10 Things I Hate About You is on Netflix? If you’ve seen my Seattle Travel Guide, you know I can’t get enough of this movie. You can bet I’ll be curled up in bed watching it this weekend!