I Swallowed A Pill...

...an "I love Chicago" pill.

Monday night, I went out to dinner with my parents, one brother and four family friends who we've known for-ev-ver. We ate at the The Plaza at Park Grille at Millenium Park. While the food options were not spectacular, the atmosphere (because you practically ate underneath "The Bean") were absolutely amazing.

Or as a co-worker's son likes to say: "The awesomeness was awesomely awesome." Leave it to a six year old to properly phrase.

But eating dinner under The Bean and wandering up to snap touristy photos (which are so easy to snap), I felt like I was seeing Chicago for the first time. I was smiling to myself and not realizing the smile was for me and for Chicago and for how fortunate we are to live in a city where people truly have Chicago pride.

Though my Uncle George graciously pointed out that The Bean looked like an upside-down bedpan, it still stirred something inside me.

(Dad, Uncle George and Uncle Charlie admiring how young they look)

These moments don't happen often enough, but I love this city. I really and truly do. Can I say where I'll be in five years? Of course not - this is still me talking - but I can say right here, right now, I am thoroughly obsessed with the Windy City and want to show it off for all to see.

Ol' Blue Eyes got it right...Chicago is my kind of town.