So after 16 or 17 years, I am going to go back to visit Chicago. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but for me it feels a little like a home coming.

I grew up relatively poor, mom worked as a dental assistant and a secretary, dad worked as a truck driver. Him being a truck driver though is the source of this particular reflection.

He worked for a manufacturing company in Little Rock called Munsey Products, they made small kitchen appliances. Dad’s job was to go and pick up the raw materials weekly to produce the products. Since he just made one trip a week usually when I was out of school I would ride along with him.

Early on he went to New York every week. I have very few memories of New York, all the industrial district where it was dingy and dirty. However they changed suppliers and started getting steel from Chicago.

I probably visited Chicago 100 times while he was driving there. Unlike New York we would occasionally drop of the trailer and drive around the city. We would go sit at the end of O’Hare and watch the planes come in, it felt like they were going to land on top of the truck. I remember several times watching a storm come in and the lightning striking the Sears Tower. All in all very positive memories of Chicago.

I’ve spent my entire life in the Little Rock metro, so it is a little hard to call any other place home. However I as far as cities go, I probably spent the second most amount of time in Chicago.

I’ve been struggling a bit lately, life has really started to drag me down a bit. I finally told Brandie that we just need to get out of town and away for at least a few days. I initially thought of Chicago, but then decided to change to some place new. However several friends all mentioned Chicago out of the blue that I should go to get away.

After giving it a lot of thought Chicago is exactly what I need. A return to the one place that I do not have a single bad memory. Sure I have some terrible ones with my dad, but they are not there. Right before things got bad at home between my parents my dad changed jobs and we stopped visiting the windy city. Chicago is the last unblemished city for me, I’ve visited a lot of places since those days and many were happy times, but I’ve carried baggage with me each time and not the kind you check at the airport.

My hope is that Chicago will stay that way.  Even though I am using this to get a break from problems there finally is one additional unblemished thing in my life. I have avoided Chicago for a long time to keep it pure in my memories. I guess it is a little fitting that my first trip back is also our first trip after Brandie became pregnant.

Come on, baby don’t you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago