An accident, the wait in Willis Tower and famous art in Chicago

24/3 - The fun for me began the day before I left for Chicago. Remember how I've written about part of the fun of traveling is the possibility that you might have to quickly adapt your plans? Yes, that happened to me Wednesday afternoon in Porterville.

I got into a car accident that resulted in my back bumper getting completely ripped off. The person responsible disappeared, so I'm out of luck. So as I stood there in the Tulare County Courthouse parking lot staring at the damage, I was in a temporary shock. 

"Fuck, what am I going to do to get to LA now?"

Because the bumper was ripped off, I couldn't use FlightCar anymore, the company I would have used to rent out my car in exchange for free parking. Instead, I used the Hilton by LAX to park for $52 for four days. 

But after successfully allowing myself enough time to get to LAX through that world-famous parking lot known as 7:30 a.m. 405 traffic, I was able to feel that giddy excitement that comes right before stepping onto an airplane headed for a new place.

Chicago. It's fucking cold right now. It even snowed on Thursday! Thankfully I've never traveled somewhere based on the weather. But Though I've only seen parts of Chicago during the night so far, I can't wait to explore more. 

I'm Couchsurfing with Rick for a few nights. He lives close to the subway on the north side of Chicago so the dull moan of a passing train sometimes breaks the silence inside his one-bedroom apartment just a few blocks away from Lake Michigan. We've already had a drink and a burger at a local pub, and he's given me some ideas for what to see in the morning. 

I basically have just two days in Chicago. Time to make the most of it. 

25/3 - I did the tourist thing on Friday, taking the subway into downtown where I walked all day and was the recipient of spontaneous pleasure. 

As is the case when I'm in a large city, I marvel at the size of skyscrapers. The sheer massiveness of these buildings makes me feel tiny and insignificant. And the view from the 103rd floor in the Willis Tower is another one of those scenes in this world that is so extraordinary it looks fake, like the Eiffel Tower. 

Speaking of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), while the view was incredible, the experience was disappointing for the price I paid. The line was 2.5 hours long, which included going through security and being forced to sit through a 15-minute film about the tower. The wait was horrendous, and what made matters worse was the amount of people elbowing me out of the way to take a selfie by the windows. 

And the lines. There were lines to get in the tower, lines to use the Sky Deck, a clear-bottomed platform on the 103rd floor you can step onto and look down to the street below, and lines to use the elevator to get down. There were lines to exit the tower as well. Needless to say, I was grumpy and needed a break from crowds. And lines. 

But throughout the day I was amazed at the look of Chicago. Trump Tower looks like it came straight out of an episode of the Jetsons. The Chicago Theater (where I will see Trevor Noah perform standup tonight) was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon and Millenium Park was simply awesome. 

I had seen the Clouds Gate sculpture in pictures before, but in person it reminds me of a drop of molten steel, like the Terminator in Judgement Day. Set along a backdrop of impressive skyscrapers makes for some great photos. But again, the crowds here dampen the experience with the constant use of selfie sticks. 

I made my way to the Art Institute of Chicago, where I saw more Van Gogh paintings, along with other famous works such as American Gothic. It's always a pleasure to get up close and personal with these paintings. 

After exiting the gallery, spontaneity blessed me with its presence by me successfully getting the phone number of a woman who gave me a spiel about a non-profit, but she had trouble completing it because I was too busy asking her about why she's in Chicago after moving from Los Angeles. Unfortunately she was too busy to have a coffee after her shift ended.

I also gave myself a thrill by stopping at Wrigley Field on the way to downtown. It would be worth it to travel to Chicago just to see a Cubs baseball game, because going to see the Lovable Losers is an event in itself. There is no parking lot. People arrive on foot and go straight for the many bars and restaurants that surround the park. There are also bleachers on top of the apartments across the street.Though I couldn't see inside the park because of construction happening, I can still say I've seen the stadium with my own eyes rather than on television, and that's the reason to travel.

The best thing about the city so far is the connections I'm making. I'm meeting some really cool people.