A Slice of the City: My Day in Chicago

This summer I have been blessed with the opportunity to work as a racquets intern at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, IL.

If you’re unfamiliar with the town of Lake Forest, it's kind of like — if a Pinterest board and a classic novel had a very stylish baby. At least, that’s what went through my mind the first time I drove through. Imagine a storybook town with tree-lined streets, stony mansions, and ivy-covered walls.

The downtown area, known as Market Square, is the heart of the town. The average Lake Forest local might start their morning with an iced latte from Hometown Coffee and Juice, spend the afternoon lounging on the beach by Lake Michigan, and end the night with wings and a beer at Chief’s, the firefighter-owned sports bar where everybody knows everybody.

Here are some snapshots of Lake Forest to help you understand the vibe.

Lake Forest is located about 30 miles from Chicago, so I knew even before starting my brief, five-week internship that I would need to carve out time to make a trip to the city.

As you can imagine, in a city as large and as happening as Chicago, it is impossible to see everything in one day. You could spend a month in Chicago and still not do it all—there’s just that much to see, eat, and explore. But even in just one day, the city has a way of showing off. So while I definitely didn’t scratch the surface, here’s a little glimpse into how I spent my day in the Windy City

My friends and I caught the 9:15 AM Metra from Lake Forest and rode the Union Pacific North line straight into the city. By 10:00, we pulled into Chicago’s Ogilvie Transportation Center, ready to explore. From there, it was a quick and easy 20-minute walk to Millennium Park—home of the iconic Bean.

The distortion created by the reflection of the Bean had us dying of laughter.

After roaming around the park for a bit, we headed to our next destination: The Navy Pier. This is one of those spots that’s definitely a go-to for visitors but still worth it. It stretches out into Lake Michigan and has some of the best views of the city and the water all in one place. You can walk along the edge, grab a bite to eat, and just take it all in—the skyline, the boats, the buzz of the city. The Centennial Wheel is there too, and while we didn’t ride it this time, it still steals the show as it spins slowly above the pier, framed by the lake and the skyline.

Let me pause a moment to mention how grateful I am that we walked to each location. First, because

it resulted in a whopping 24,233 steps for the day and I feel stoked whenever I am above the 20k mark. But more than that, walking gave me time to really take in the city’s staggering architecture. As someone who grew up in a town of fewer than 5,000 people, I’m always in awe of the big city landscape.

Some of the best views were the ones we stumbled upon just walking between stops. That said, if e-biking is more your style (which we definitely thought about), there are plenty of Lyft bikes scattered around the city to help you get around faster.

---

With the lunch hour fast approaching, we began looking for a spot along the river to relax and dine. You’d think I would’ve gone for deep-dish pizza (being my first time in Chicago and all), and trust me, that was the plan… until it started absolutely pouring. The pizza place we ducked into had a 45-minute wait, and previous experiences have proven that a hangry Mere is not someone you want to be around. So we pivoted and ended up at a Mediterranean spot called Pinched on the River. I got the Athena Bowl—spring mix, chicken kabob, Mediterranean salad, black bean and corn, cabbage slaw, feta, garlic sauce, and pita. It was so good!

My friends and I ate and chatted while the rain came down outside. By the time the check arrived, the weather finally started to let up (the timing was seriously perfect—I couldn’t have scripted it better). Before heading to our next stop, we made a quick detour upstairs to the little ice cream shop above the restaurant. With our sweet treats in hand—three waffle cones with chocolate-vanilla swirl—we set off toward the Harry Potter Shop!

The friends who were with me really took one for the team with this stop—neither of them are exactly invested in the Harry Potter franchise, but I happen to be a mega fan. My childhood revolved around curling up in bed with my mom in the middle, my brother and I on either side, sharing popcorn and watching the Harry Potter movies. So for me, this stop was more than just a touristy detour—it was a little nostalgic moment tucked into our day.

The line to get in wrapped around the street corner, so I was a little nervous about the wait— but to my surprise, we were inside in under ten minutes. Even though it’s not huge, the shop is packed with little details that make you feel like you’ve stepped into the Wizarding World—wands, house scarves, chocolate frogs, you name it. We spent a good amount of time browsing, laughing, and debating which house each of us would be sorted into (I'm a clear Hufflepuff).

After getting my fill of HP, we headed to our final stop of the day: the beach. It was the perfect end of an epic day—just sitting on the boardwalk, watching the waves, enjoying the breeze, and listening to some music. The lake stretched out in front of us, and even with the city skyline right there, it felt calm and peaceful in a way that surprised me. While I was sitting there, I was thinking about how nice it was to have a day of exploration with no strict itinerary. It was a very "go-with-the flow" and "play it by ear" sort of day, which I find incredibly rejuvenating under the proper circumstances (because sometimes I prefer to be a type A planner, it just depends).

Some time later, we made our way back to Ogilvie and caught the Metra home to Lake Forest. The ride back was one of my favorite parts of the day — I scrolled through photos from the day and my friends and I answered a bunch of funny, deep, and completely random questions from the long list I keep in my Notes app (highly recommend doing this with your people).

By the time we pulled into Lake Forest, the whole day already felt like something out of a highlight reel. There’s nothing quite like exploring a new place, and I’m so thankful I can officially cross Chicago off my list. I’ll definitely need to come back someday to catch a game at Wrigley, but for now, I’m ending this day-trip with nothing but full-hearted contentment.