Above:
Front lobby of the Chicago International Hostel
There
are five hostels listed in my hostel book for Chigago. When I
got into Chicago I wasn't fussy--I stopped at the one that was
easiest for me to find.
As
I approached the city, I regretted even going there. I could
see the tops of the buildings towering through the clouds. The
traffic was zooming down the hightway, fender to fender. I
would have just stayed on the highway and gone right by Chicago, but
damn, wouldn't ya' know it, I had procrastinated so long putting gas
in the car that the little red idiot light was on! I would
have pushed it, but the light wasn't blinking--it had been on solid
for awhile, so I knew I was driving on fumes. I was lucky if I
even made it to a gas station! What an awful place that would
be to run out of gas--right there in the middle of a 5 or 6 lane
freeway!
Damn,
exits on left...exits on right. Entrances on left.
Entrances on right. Hmmm. Pick an exit--any exit.
Bingo, there's one, I'm off the freeway! Now look for a gas
station. I drove quite a while in that city traffic
looking for a gas station. There has to be a "gas angel"
'cause I've got one. I don't know how many times I've got
myself in that kind of situation where I'm in the middle of
"something" "somewhere" and my gas light is on solid.
And the car keeps going!
Finally
asked a policeman where there's a gas station. Filled
it. Phew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a
relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Feels like I've got a new lease on
life. Now I'm free to look and look and look for that
hostel--any hostel. I don't care how long it takes to find
it. I'm in no rush.
Found
one. Not bad. Except there are only 4 parking
spaces--and there's only one left! Have to drive around the
block 3 times to find the little parking lot in the back off a
one-way side street--Oh I love cities! I hope someone else
doesn't grab that parking space while I'm making another pass.
Alright.
Got the space. Right there next to the alley. Yep, this
looks good. Hidden back here in the alley--anyone can smash
the window or whatever. Oh well, just relax. I'm not
taking all my stuff out for one night. Maybe nothing will
happen. Who wants to break in to take camping gear. I'll
leave my doors unlocked. It looks like a dirty, cheap little
car owned by someone who can't afford much. "Look, she doesn't
even lock her doors. There must not be anything in there worth
stealing. Nope, no stereo, nothing. Not even an air
conditioner--ha, who buys a car now-a-days without air
conditioning? Aw, let's leave this poor person's car alone."
Ok, so I
was a little worried about my car.
After I
got settled into the hostel, I took a walk to the lake. I've
got a really nice picture somewhere here--well, it shows a bunch of
skyscrapers built right on the edge of the lake.
I'll
leave a space to the right so I can put the picture in when I find
it.
Above
(someday): A bunch of Chicago skyscrapers on the edge of the
lake.
Couldn't
wait to get out of the city! Couldn't wait to go to sleep so
I could wake up early and leave! Head out on that road and
take off!
I don't
think I ever want to go to another big city again. I don't
even like to go to Boston, and that's nothing compared to the size
of Chicago.
Left
early. Free.
But,
wouldn't youknow it, later
the next day I missed an exit for a hostel that I had planned on
going. So I said to myself, "Oh just keep going 'til you find
something else."
