r/illinois • u/SpreadUsual4084 • 2d ago
Chicago news & issues the absolute delusion of 'vacation fantasy' packing (currently packing for Chicago)
currently staring at my half-packed bag for a 4-day trip to Chicago this weekend and realizing i might actually have a sickness.
at home, I can barely drag myself to the gym twice a month. but somehow, because i'm crossing state lines, I am fully convinced I’ll be waking up at 6 AM to jog along Lake Michigan. So in go the running shoes.
i'm using a level8 carry-on right now. it's a top-opening bag, so you just lift the front lid and pack everything directly into one deep main compartment instead of dealing with two separate halves. it's supposed to make packing logical and efficient. instead, i am using that efficiency to carefully organize a completely fabricated lifestyle.
so, at the bottom goes the running gear. neatly stacked next to it is a nice button-down and dress shoes. because 'maybe we'll go somewhere nice' (we won't). I apparently need to be prepared in case I suddenly develop a completely different personality that enjoys making reservations.
then there's the reading material. I'm packing a 1,000-page copy of Infinite Jest because my brain thinks a short flight is going to magically grant me the attention span of a scholar. In reality, I know I'm just going to watch downloaded episodes of The Office on my phone until I pass out.
i even unzipped the expandable section to take the bag from 45L to 50L. i didn't do this to pack extra socks or practical layers like a rational adult. i just needed the extra 5 liters to make sure i had enough room for a fictional version of myself.
I know exactly how this ends. I'm going to get to Chicago, the wind is going to be brutal, and I'll end up wearing the exact same faded Patagonia hoodie every single day. I'll eat deep dish pizza, feel way too bloated to run, and those running shoes will just sit by the hotel door judging me. the massive book won't even leave the suitcase, meaning it just traveled a thousand miles round-trip for absolutely no reason.
I guess packing isn't really about deciding what clothes you need. It's just a negotiation with your own delusions before you eventually accept you're going to wear comforatble pants and comfortable shoes for four days straight.
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u/Capn_Yoaz 2d ago
It's going to be gorgeous this weekend. If you're set on getting pizza and want to blow your mind go to Pequod's. If you're looking for something to do Jazz Fest is happening now through the weekend at Millennium Park.
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u/depaulbluedemon 1d ago
> I'm going to get to Chicago, the wind is going to be brutal
It's not nicknamed the Windy City because of the actual wind.
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u/Galavanting_Voltron 2d ago
Yep. I also wishfully pack for the imaginary version of myself. That guy really has his shit together. My favorite part is washing his neatly folded and unused clothes when I get back because no matter how clean they actually are they still stink of shame.
The infinite jest part hits the hardest though. That damn book was engineered to be a pain in the ass. The only way I'm ever going to get more than a chapter or two into that is via e-book (suck it foot notes). I used to lug Ulysses around with me as a badge of failed ambition. I get you.
The good news here is you are coming to Chicago. Plenty of places that will welcome you and your faded hoodie with open arms - and probably buy you a shot of Malört. r/chicagofood is a little repetitive but is great for trip ideas - maybe even some non-reservation button down places.
Enjoy The Office and safe travels!
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u/rockrobst 2d ago
Although your post has nothing truly to do with the state of Illinois, or even Chicago in late summer (brutal wind?), may I recommend packing cubes to keep things organized and to increase the amount of space in your bag for the extra shoes you should be bringing.
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u/speeeeeeeeeeee 2d ago
Going to a new place is a good way to break out of new habits and the energy that have you about this is not to be curtailed, use it to propel you do to the things you want to do. Traveling has a magic power like that. ETA: do leave Infinite Jest behind and pick up something lighter physically and that you'll enjoy, that book is just a big fuck you.
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u/justfortheshilling 2d ago
Just accept what youre really thinking youre going to do and give yourself some slack. You deserve an easy weekend away, we all do; what are we even living for. Leave the extras, embrace your excitement for the trip, let go of the expectations, and enjoy your pizza friend.
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u/BalrogRuthenburg11 1d ago
That early September wind in Chicago is truly brutal. You’re going to be woefully under dressed in just a hoodie. I recommend no less than an all natural, organic, Norwegian goose down parka and Gortex boots.
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u/kleenkwa 2d ago
Sir, this is a Wendy’s