Saturday, February 26, 2011

Chicagoland

This dismal February ended with a trip to Chicago for a four-day faculty seminar sponsored by the University of Chicago, and while I didn't enjoy much about the seminar itself, for several reasons, and the hotel where we stayed was quite dismal (we had to be moved from one room to another because of a non-working heater), I got great news over there and having my husband's company made the trip special, as usual.


Chicago is, of course, a lovely city, especially at night, when it lights up like jewel, and while we didn't particularly care for the lake wind that chilled our bones when we took walks outside, it was wonderful to be so near the water. As a caribeña, I love to see the waves and the lake is big enough to pass for a sea, for someone unfamiliar with the geography of the place. I think that's one of the reasons, apart from all the emotional ones, that I so love Boston. Even when I just land at Logan after flying over the coast, there's a tugging at my heart that only also happens when I land in Puerto Rico.


Once the second seminar session ended on Friday afternoon, my husband and I decided to drive into the city and visit the famous Water Tower Place mall, which is worth the visit (I only bought "authentic" Cubs T-shirts for my sister and brother). Since we couldn't leave Chicago without experiencing its world-famous deep-dish pizza, we went to Giordano's for dinner and had the stuffed veggie pizza above, which looked like it wanted to eat us, that's how huge it was. I only managed one piece but, since we drove to Chicago, we were able to bring leftovers home and enjoy the pizza again once we made it back Saturday.

One thing my husband wanted us to do while there was to visit the University of Chicago's Chapel, which is quite a misnomer, considering that the church is as large as a medieval cathedral. Once we walked in, I was sorry not to have my trusty digital camera with me, so the phone camera had to do, but it barely was able to capture the loveliness of the stained-glass windows, which rainbowed against the frame when hit directly by the sun.


The chapel itself, below, where my husband's sister got married more than two decades ago, is truly beautiful and he tells of how her large wedding (200+ guests) seemed dwarfed in the huge structure, and I can see why.


Being at the University of Chicago made me appreciate, even more, my small college on the hill, and the wonderful support and the collegiality that we prize and practice with each other. There's nothing like going to a place that is ranked "higher" and feeling you don't belong there to make you stop looking for greener grass on the other side of your fence and more actively appreciate the grass in your own backyard, so to speak.

While I was in Chicago, I got the news that I had won a competitive one-year fellowship awarded by my small college on the hill for excellence in teaching, which gives me a year-long leave for scholarship, and I also signed an advance contract for my book project with a press, so 2011-12 will be the Year of the Book. The advance contract only means that I get to turn in the manuscript when it's ready next year, not that they have a commitment to publish it, but it's a good start. 

All I could think of was how thrilled my father would be at these news and it was rough not being able to share them with him. But, of course, I think he knows and probably has had a hand in all these wonderful things that have happened. Thus, while there were some aspects of that trip to Chicago that were not so positive, at the end of the day, there is much truth in the adage that says, "all is well that ends well."

1 comment:

AB said...

Congrats on the fellowship!