"Tour de Trisha" - Part 2 of my US trip (Rice Lake, Chicago and Madison!)

A few months back I posted about the Crandon part of my trip home, and left a large chunk out thinking I would get to it soon. “Soon” is now. Since then, I’ve recently had my dad and stepmom over in Perth visiting, so it’s fitting that my first stop after leaving Crandon (where I grew up) was Rice Lake, WI to visit my dad! 

Rice Lake
I was lucky enough to hitch a ride from Crandon with my grandma and her husband Bill. Actually, I don’t know if it’s “hitching a ride” when you drive their car? When we walked in the door 4 hours later, Brenna and Macy were there waiting for us! (my oldest stepsister and her daughter). Macy had made a picture for me that remained on my Perth refrigerator for awhile.

I got to see all my favourite people from dad’s side – Brenna and Jason, Kristin (my youngest step-sister)….(didn’t get to see Amy this time), Tom and Cathy, Donna and Misty, the Crotteaus, Andy and Kathy. I also got to eat at some of my favourite Rice Lake / northwoods places – Drag’s for pizza, Foxxy’s in Spooner for an awesome prime rib, and special DAD-made venison, biscuits and gravy (yummmm!!!). We also spent a really fun, REALLY hot & humid day 4-wheeling on one of dad’s pieces of land. 

Robin tearing it up on the 4-wheeler

On my last night in Rice Lake, we had a little party at dad’s and it was so great to see everyone and have a few drinks! Not too many though – I had a long 7-hour drive to Chicago the next morning.

Chicago
My dad was awesome enough to lend me an extra car of his…well it’s actually more like a beast. A Lincoln Navigator. Probably the biggest vehicle I have ever driven. But it was great to not have to rent a car for 2 weeks! When I left, I joked “I'll try not to wreck it!” My first glimpse of my favourite city brought a huge smile to my cheeks. I loved spending time in Crandon and Rice Lake, doing outdoorsy things and being a country girl, but I was ready to get back to the city lifestyle. As excited as I was, another strange phenomena happened – the closer I got to Chicago, the more tense I became and the more I started thinking about work. I even dreamt about work the first night. That really says something about my lifestyle for the 6 years I lived there. 

After finally getting to Chicago, I was hungry so I stopped in at Whole Foods since they have free wifi, awesome food, and a bar (I MISS YOU WHOLE FOODS!!) and Kiley wasn’t home yet from yoga (I was staying with Kiley & Winnie in Chicago - thank you!). I just “checked-in” on Facebook, when I hear over the PA “Trisha Hageny to Customer Service” and I double-checked my purse, phones, keys etc and definitely had everything with me. I get to Customer Service and there is my friend Melissa standing there!!! She saw my post on Facebook and paged me….gotta love technology!! After catching up with her, I headed to the apple store with my list of things to buy (cheaper in the US). 

It was time to head to Lakeview to see my awesome friend Kiley!! Kiley has an awesome apartment right on Lake Michigan; unfortunately, the Navigator didn’t exactly make it into the tiny parking garage unscathed. I felt like a teenager again having to call my dad and tell him about the dent. 

The big day was finally here, the day of the Kenny Chesney / Tim McGraw concert at Soldier Field! My aussie friends don’t understand country music, they just don’t have it in Australia. But I love it and I doubt that will ever change. It was a busy day – took Kiley’s Bikram class, went to Melissa’s BBQ, and then headed to meet Kiley at Scout for drinks before the show. What an awesome night! We had a blast on the redline home, making new friends and generally being disgraceful. 

Kiley and me at the Tim/Kenny concert

I was able to catch up with Jeremy at my favourite brunch place (Orange on Clark / Fullerton); we went for a walk around my old neighbourhood which is looking pretty good! Some of the shops that were empty when I left are now in business and I am hopeful that it keeps improving. There is a residential high-rise almost complete that was literally a hole in the ground when I left. Progress. Jeremy dropped me off at Kiley’s and I began the scary process of getting the Navigator out of the garage so I could drive to the burbs to see Wendy, who was scheduled to MOVE AWAY all the way to New Orleans in just a few short days!! Luckily our time overlapped so I was able to see her and her little girl, CiCi. She was barely showing when I left and now here was her cute baby! It’s so weird….and normal…..to have everything keep changing. Even if I moved back to Chicago now, everything will be different. Some of my dearest friends aren’t even living there anymore.

However I do still have some great friends living there, and I spent a week catching up with them, eating at all my favourite places (don’t judge: Chipotle, Orange, Jimmy Johns, Hannah’s Bretzel, Pasta Bowl, random Mexican places) and LOTS of shopping. I went to a concert with Rickie in Millennium Park and then drinks at the terrace of Tavern on the Park, got to have lunch with my new favourite librarian and entertainer Keely, and got to see some of my old co-workers, other professional friends, and ex-boss Jeff at my Happy Hour at the Gage. That night, Kate and I continued on drinking at The Wit and I got home late, rudely waking Kiley up giggling and laughing about her rug (“Feels like I’m walking on cotton balls!!!”). Needless to say, I felt like shit the next day. Perhaps it was the menthol cigarettes I bummed off Kate (I don’t really smoke…..ever). 

Other observations on Chicago: I miss it terribly yet I know my life is better now, away from that lifestyle of constant travel and constant work. Some things have changed (new buildings, people moving away) and some have stayed the same. I still had a black guy compliment my booty walking down the street. I saw a homeless guy with an iPhone. It's weird seeing so many homeless people again, you just don’t see it much in Australia. I guess I was used to it before, which makes me sad. Who knows if I will ever end up back in Chicago, sometimes I think yes and sometimes I think no. Either way, I can’t wait for my next visit in December, and Chris will be with me!! During the last trip almost a year ago, Chris and I had only went on 2 dates and were getting to know each other through Face Book messages. Oh how things have changed!

One of many glorious streets in Chicago

Madison
The final leg of “Tour de Trisha” was to stop by in Madison – the capital of Wisconsin and home of the University of Wisconsin (where I went to college, got my first professional(ish) job, #38 on the best universities in the world index, one of ESPN’s best college sports towns, one of the most highly educated cities in America, and one of the most liveable cities in the country). It’s not a bad place! 

After getting a meeting with my financial planner out of the way, I could move onto more fun things. I gave myself a tour of this city that holds more memories than I can count, not all of them good. I drove all around campus, saw Grainger Hall (the business school where I spent so many hours studying), Sellery Hall (the dorm where Tricia and I lived for 2 years), the band practice field (where I spent many hours marching holes in the ground and now has artificial turf!), Camp Randall, the Capitol Building, Monona Terrace, the first house I bought, where I first worked. A lot of things happened to me in Madison, and I can’t believe that it’s now been over 8 years since I moved away. 

That night, I had organised a group to go to the Madison Mallards game in the duck blind and had a great time (how can one go wrong with all you can drink and eat for $33?). These are some of my great friends from college (and band!) who were smart enough to stay in Madison – why change perfection? The only disturbing part of the night was the after-game entertainment – and this says something about Madison – was Midget Wrestling. Just wrong.  You have to see it to believe it.

Some of the crew at the Madison Mallard's game
(minus Abby and Molly!)

After some shopping the next day, I met a group down at the Union Terrace for beers and sun – one of the best things about Madison (and the University). It makes me sad that Australians don’t get to experience college the way Americans do. I will definitely push my kids to go to college in the US (……Madison!?!?!). We had a fun afternoon, finishing up with burgers at the Gritty, drinks at the Old Sugar Distillery, and a walk around the Capitol Building. Thanks to my friends Janie and Starz, who always have “room at the inn” for me (we all love Chez Starz!). I can’t wait to visit again in a few short months, this time in winter!

The Terrace

State capital of Wisconsin

I can’t say enough about my entire trip home. I also can’t believe how much I fit into 4 weeks. After finally getting back to Australia, I was exhausted from all my travels!