Sunday 1 June 2025
It’s the first day of winter back home and the last day of our stay in Chicago. Tomorrow morning, we’ll begin the long journey to Australia via LA.
A cool and sunny morning. The Illinois Prairie Path is nearby, part of a trail converted from a railway line back in the 1960s. There are over sixty miles of pathway, and I can’t remember staying anywhere in this general area that hasn’t been close (or at least relatively so) to the Prairie Path. It’s one of the best things about this area, and this morning I took full advantage, walking/jogging for nearly 7km down to the Fox River and Veterans Island Park. Great way to start the day.
Went to watch the final “Mission: Impossible” movie today. Nearly three hours in length, I was worried it might drag in places but it absolutely did not. I don’t know how Tom Cruise manages to make every one of these movies bigger and more bombastic than the one before, but I’m glad he can. A roller-coaster of a movie, the kind made for viewing on a giant screen. If this is indeed the last movie in the franchise, you can’t say it didn’t go out on a high.
Did some packing when we got home. I bring less and less stuff each time I come over here, but sorting out my packing cubes – I’m a packing cube devotee now – tells me that I still brought far more than what I ever wore. I’ll downsize again next time, I guess.
It was a double header to close out our last night in Chicago. Over to the Rovik’s in the late-afternoon for drinks and an early-ish dinner. Happy to report that they are all doing well. Emery and Everly are both growing quick.
Then we went over to Zeke’s, a friend I met through Matt A way back in the day. Missed out on seeing him last year, and didn’t want that trend to last two years, so we caught up and had a few quiet beers in his backyard, and didn’t end up leaving until after 10:30pm.
Home to the Airbnb later than we expected. A few hours of sleep upcoming, and I’m tipping I’ll be asleep for most of the five-hour flight out to Los Angeles, which – all things being equal – departs Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 8:40am.
Chicago, it’s been a blast. Until next time…
kitchtrips 