An Odd Love Affair

Yep, I'll admit it. I love someplace I have only seen personally from their airport. I haven't stepped outside in the wonderful city of Chicago before, but it is on my bucket list. What's not to love about Chicago?

You've got Wrigley Field, the Sears (I don't care what the new name is, it's still Sears) Tower, the Chicago River, Soldier Field, the Field Museum, the John Hancock Center, Navy Pier, Victory Monument, the Magnificent Mile, and the Art Institute of Chicago, which I really want to see.

Heck, I even love or will root for Chicago Sports teams. Da Bears, the Blackhawks (Original Six) and the Cubs. Not the White Sox. Almost every White Sox fan I've met is the American League equivalent of a Dodgers fan. Also, not the Bulls. Screw the Bulls, and screw you, John Paxson. (We'll ignore the fact that Danny Ainge left you open at the top of the key to double-team Horace Grant)

So, where does this love for Chicago come from, from a kid raised in the San Diego area? Well, it was baffling to me, as well. But, I figured it out. I'm a child of the '80s. I was raised on '80s movies. The first taste of Chicago was in The Blues Brothers. (Best. Chase scene. Ever.) Later on, it was The Untouchables and The Fugitive. But, they're not the cause of it.

Nope, '80s movies mean John Hughes. He showed a Chicago that seemed like it would be a great place to hang out and live in. From Sixteen Candles to The Breakfast Club, from Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Home Alone, he showcased Chicago. Well, "Shermer, IL." But, his crowning achievement, and what basically became a travelogue for Chicago was Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Let's face it, we all felt like we'd been to Chicago after watching that. And, if we hadn't been there yet, because of that movie we all wanted to go and see the places Ferris, Cameron and Sloane went. (Don't lie, you want to go to a restaurant and put your name down as Abe Froman.)

Now, and this is going to burst some bubbles, whilst Cameron's house is in Illinois, Ferris' house is actually in Long Beach, CA. Yep. No lie. That's all right. Doesn't matter, doesn't change or affect my view of Chicago.
And, I can't wait as in about three years, we'll be making a roadie out that way. Until then, I've got my movies and the sports channels to tide me over.