The Windy City

Oct 16, 2016
2 min read

Hey! Its me again. Guess where I am? I'm in one of my favorite cities in the world (after Tokyo of course)! The Wooster CityTrek team is taking over the windy city of Chicago to look at businesses and meet alumni during my week of fall break. Chicago has great people, great views of the city, great food, and great art. It's a flourishing city that welcomes me with open arms every time I visit.

With that being said, my biggest impression for day 1 is the hostel that we were staying at. Freehand Chicago, located in the vibrant River North area and only a 5-minute walk from Michigan Ave, is what I would call a hos-hotel, simply because it's a cross breed between a hostel and a hotel. The hip and trendy vibe of the lobby, cafe, and bar are inviting to guests staying or just lounging at the hostel, and the artistic walls were my particular favorite (pictured above).

Now let's talk cupcakes. After a nice dinner, we took our happy tummies to a cupcake ATM for a late-night dessert. Yeah, that's right - a cupcake ATM. Coming from Tokyo where you can virtually find everything in vending machines, this was new to me so I had to try it out.

There's nothing too special about the cupcake ATM. You select a cupcake on the screen, you pay with your credit card, and the dramatic screen lifts up to present you with your delicate cupcake. The cupcake itself was any ordinary cupcake but it's all about the experience! I got a marshmallow chocolate cupcake (pictured above) and enjoyed every inch of it.

Next up was EATALY, one of the largest Italian market places in the world. Anywhere from wines to cheeses to olives to pastries - any food-lover's dream. The New York Times has described it as a "megastore" that "combines elements of a bustling European open market, a Whole-Foods-style supermarket, a high-end food court and a New Age learning center." There are 29 stores around the world today and I was surprised to see that there are 3 in Japan! I definitely need to check out EATALY Tokyo when I fly home for winter break. Life is too short not to drink (and eat) well!