By Torie Wright, Icon intern

I’m not much of a city girl; I’ve grown quite fond of the quiet intimacy small towns like our own have to offer. After a weekend in Chicago, however, my mind feels subject to change… 

On Nov. 8, I traveled to Chicago with a group of students and professors from OSU-Lima. We went to watch a live, penultimate performance of Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater located on the Navy Pier.

Long story short, I LOVED IT—not so much the play itself (the acting seemed a bit mediocre), but the experiences of getting a backstage tour of a professional theater, sitting within mere feet of professional actors, carousing bustling city streets, and eating exotic food were fantastic. The unafraid pigeons were pretty cute, too.

My favorite part of the trip was the view, especially at night when the windows of skyscrapers were twinkling like rectangular stars against a black sky. I think I could’ve stood outside in the 30 degree weather all night, just staring. Take those sparkling buildings and place them along the Chicago River and you’ve got yourself the perfect backdrop for the perfect weekend away from home.

Something I couldn’t quite get over, though, was the mishmash of smells assaulting my nose anywhere we went. Maybe I’m not quite cut out for city living, after all.

Want to take a peek? Watch for photos coming this weekend.