Homesickness and Wicker Park

I've spent time away from home before - a few summers ago I was away for nearly a month. But the last time I lived anywhere for an extended period of time was when I moved to Finland for my exchange year, many moons ago. So, I should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. But last Sunday, I couldn't understand why I felt so lethargic and quite frankly, miserable. Until it dawned on me that I was probably feeling homesick. It's passed now, thanks to a phone call that made me laugh. But last Sunday was definitely not the best day I have had here.

Weekends aren't the best time since I don't have my class or workmates around me for 8hrs a day, and the two days seem to streeeetccch (unless weekends are magically longer here in the spirit of everything being bigger in the US). I now have a list of all the things I want to do and see here in the couple of months remaining. Plan is to do at least one thing on the list every weekend. On the list is kayaking on the river downtown one evening. I have been trying to get some company with no luck so far, but screw it, I'll do it alone if need be. Other trips are going to the Field Museum & the Contemporary Art Museum, and a trip north to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. An American football game or two are definitely on the cards! Might see if I could even go north to Milwaukee for the weekend. 

My homesickness last week was relieved somewhat by a trip downtown to Wicker Park on Sunday evening. My colleague at work lives there and loves the place and wanted to show us around. Wicker Park is west of the city and isn't the most easy neighbourhood to get to. In distance it's about 10 miles from Chicago, in time it takes 90 minutes to get there. As someone helpfully pointed out the other day, people round here measure journeys in time not distance.

A cannon in someone's front yard

The Wicker Park Festival was on this weekend, a free-ish festival down one of the main streets with music and street food.

A really tasty Serbian street food offering - spicy sausage in a type of pita bread

'Nuff said

I really liked the vibe and the crowd were pretty interesting. It's definitely an eclectic neighborhood and there looked like there were some fun shops and restaurants and bars to hang out in. Food was had and we met some of my colleagues' friends who, like everyone else I have met here, were really friendly and fun to hang out with for a few hours. I'll definitely be going back to see what it's like sans festival. Photos will be coming later when I get back home - currently on a train to St. Louis!