I have some time to kill as I’m sort of traveling on my own. Really, I came to see my friend in Chicago and forgot she had to work. Oops! So I thought I’d be 2 for 2 in 2020 on this writing thing.
I’ve been to Chicago many times in the last few years, but I have never, not even once, been to The Bean. My friend and I joke about it all the time since that seems to be where everyone else goes when they’re visiting here! At this point I resist going just to keep my streak going.
Last trip here I was checking out of the grocery store, chatting with the cashier about visiting. “So you went to The Bean, of course,” he said. Well. No. Not ever!
Earlier today my friend asked me if I was at The Bean. I think it would have been so funny to go when she wasn’t with me after all these times she hasn’t taken me! I could have sent her a selfie of me there, jubilant that I’ve finally seen the Mecca of Chicago. Alas and hugely regrettably, I didn’t make it part of my day.
Instead, I’ve meandered around town a bit. I walked to a cute coffee shop that I went to last time I was here. The walk was about two times longer than I expected! But it was a nice day and felt good. Now I’m sitting in one of my favorite places here, a brewery with dim lighting and brick exposed walls, having a late lunch and a local beer.
The people right next to me are having a lively conversation, when all of a sudden one of them practically shouts, “We went to see The Bean today!” Of course they did! And they continued to talk about other times seeing it and possibly going again tomorrow on the way to the museum. And here I am, regretting my Not to Bean choices today!
But that’s how travel and life goes. You can’t do it all, and you have to be happy with and thankful for the experiences you have had.
And hey, I kept my streak going! I think it’s now 7 Chicago trips, 0 Beans.
Here’s to following your own tourist plan, even if a lot of it ends up being a lot of lost walking! 
Just Write, Jackie! 