2021 – Zaira Viteria

You do you know this is my favorite city, right? I’m very much OK with going back every year. 🙂

The trip got off to a rough start because I was running late to the airport (I was trying to deposit some funds but the two ATMs I went to are not working). But everything worked out. When I arrived, I looked up prices Uber and Lyft. Initially, they were about $50 but when I was ready to secure a trip, they jumped to $75. I was appalled. I paid about 65 bucks for a taxi and I spent over an hour in traffic even though the hotel was 12 miles away. This was my first time experiencing Chicago traffic.

I was very hungry when I arrived, I was hungry when I waited in traffic, I was hungry when I check in and I was hungry when I waited for an elevator up to my room. I stayed at the Warwick Hotel on Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) There was a wedding reception taking place that day which is why it was so busy. While I was struggling to wait patiently for my turn on the elevator I made acquaintance with a couple who was waiting behind me and we ended up meeting a few times during my stay. Once I got settled, decided I would go find food immediately. The last time I was in the city, I kept seeing a restaurant called Wow Bao and it was the first thing that popped up when I searched for food so I made a beeline straight there. I got the food, rushed back to the hotel, got cozy and ate while watching Family Guy. I would stay at this hotel again because it was in an amazing spot and everything was within walking. That evening ,I had plans to go see Hasan Minhaj at the Chicago theater. I took on the scenery while walking there. The line was unreal but once they finally open the doors it moved rather quickly the show started an hour after the expected time but it was worth it. This man was brilliant and very funny.

After the show got out, I longed to return to the hotel and call it a night. But, the people I met while checking in invited me out to go barhopping. A part of me just wanted to rest and the other part really wanted to make the most of my vacation so I got over myself and decided to meet in the lobby. We ended up going to a bar called Streeters Tavern. We had some drinks and played beer pong — it was a good vibe. The three of us witnessed a bit of drama as we were leaving and we wanted to stick around a little bit just to make sure nothing bad happened. Eventually, it was deescalated.

The next day, I got a late start. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time inside during the morning while I waited until the people I met were ready for the day. My objective was to be less dependent on other people and explore on my own– I’m working on that. I’m glad I met them because they added value to my trip, though I am still learning how to navigate completely by myself. I knew it would rain and I still wanted to wear the outfit I packed (it was cute!). The outfit would have been perfect if we didn’t keep trying to go different restaurants without a reservation. I had to walk far and the heels were not comfortable after a while. And then it start to rain. But ya girl brought her cute dark green raincoat, so I was all set! After that, I wanted to take a nap. The plan for the night was to check out another comedy event (but I didn’t plan on that one: the couple invited me out). I reached out to one of my friends who went to the same college as I and he agreed to come. We all went out for dinner. The vibe was chill, friendly and welcoming. We hopped over to the Laugh Factory for the evening and got to check out a handful of comedians with different humor styles. Some jokes were just dark but other comedians had the laughs coming nonstop. After that, we all went our separate ways: my friend Anthony went back home and the couple continued their night. I had to go back to the hotel because I had to wake up early for my flight back home.

Of course, I wanted to stay longer but I’m glad I got to check it out before it got too cold. It’s likely I’ll return to Chicago for another solo trip and check out some touristy things.

See you soon, Chi-Town 💋

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“So what made you come to Boston?“

Just because…”

“Really? That’s pretty cool.”

I had that short exchange at least 3 times throughout my weekend in the city. Sometimes curiosity and the want for new surroundings is enough to get away from your hometown. Once again, my friend Tiffany and I just decided on a weekend, a place to go and we went! We only had 48 hours to spend and we tried to optimize our time as much as possible. Here’s how it went:

June 25th

I woke up super early to catch my 6:30 flight. The temperature was warm in Greensboro, North Carolina but in Boston, it was kind of cool: the high was only 70° and the low, 61°. My connecting flight was in Atlanta. I met Tiffany at baggage claim once I arrived to Boston. We wanted to take local transportation to our hotel but we had a really difficult time figuring out which bus it was (even though a complimentary option was advertised for surrounding hotels!).

We got an Uber to the hotel and agreed that our appetite was through the roof, so we headed to a place called Shake Shack. While I was there, I should have looked at other peoples meals so that I would’ve known how small the burgers were… I would’ve gotten a double or at least fries and a milkshake. Surprisingly, the one mini burger turned out to be quite satisfying.

Afterwards, we got ready for the sunset boat tour and walked to the harbor. Our tour guide was informative (and easy on the ears). It was cloudy and quite chilly – my breath was visible! Unfortunately, the sun wasn’t interested in a grand departure, so we didn’t get to see rich colors while on the water. I learned a bit and I’m glad I opted in for the tour because originally, I wasn’t interested in absorbing a history lesson.

Next up, we caught an Uber to go to dinner at a restaurant called Local 149. Our driver was so obnoxious in a way where he wanted to seem like the big champ that everyone liked but his comments were arrogant, problematic and douchey. Who brings up politics with a complete stranger? It was quite the gamble. Anyway – he drops us off at the restaurant and we get a table. I was famished! I ordered a plate of coconut Thai chili mussels and a fried Flutternutter (something new I tried and enjoyed immensely). Tiffany wanted salmon but after some encouragement, she tried the mussels…. and swapped her order! Our food was tasty! We were satisfied and had regained energy to begin the night of fun.

We stood in line for about 15 minutes, striking up conversation with locals. We thought we were in line for The W but we were actually in line for another venue. The other spot charged a $30 cover which we weren’t interested in. Feeling a bit defeated, we decided to walk around to see what was there and we stumbled upon The W anyway (we thought it was closed or limited to hotel guests only but they let us in). There was an awkward moment at the bar… fortunately it was amended with free drinks. The DJ was so good! We found our spot amongst the crowd and enjoyed the music for the rest of the night until closing.

June 26TH

I slept in until about 10 AM – we had a long night before and there would be a long day ahead of us. This was the last full day in Boston, so we had to make the most of it! We realized last night, that the place we Ubered to was fairly close. Brunch was definitely within walking distance. Today was the day I’d reach my step goal ;). Originally, we had ours eyes set on Lookout Bar for brunch but the dining area was full. Read: secure reservations before big city trips. I asked the host if he could recommend another place and he mentioned Committee so we went there instead.

Once again: since I’m out somewhere new, I want to try something new! I got a Greek styled omelette, called “kayiannas” and a large not-so sweet pastry called “bougatsa” which would’ve been amazing with hot tea. Everything was just right: new, pleasing and just enough. I’m glad there weren’t any leftovers during our stay because we didn’t have a microwave in our hotel. After brekkie, the idea of drinks at Lookout Bar came back to mind. It was such a lovely view. Time was spent sunbathing, drinking and taking in the scenery before resuming our trek.

The next stop was Boston Public Garden. Or is it Boston Commons? Upon arrival, we heard a liberal activist bringing people together while encouraging unity and acceptance. There was an available bench near Frog Pond where we saw a lot of children playing in the lake and a couple of park patrol security riding on horses. How fitting. There were a few playgrounds. You could see the different activities happening as people socially distanced themselves… and it reminded me of what life was like before COVID-19.

Chinatown was the final stop for the day. It was a 20 minute walk from where we were. Just our luck, we happened to enter through the back of Chinatown so, we explored it in reverse. Once we got to the main entry, pictures were taken and compliments were received. After resting for a bit, it was time to look for a place to eat! We went to the Spice House and I got some vegetable dumplings.

After eating, I was in dire need of a nap. We took in plenty of sun, gotten plenty of steps so it was time to rest before heading out for dinner and getting ready for the early morning flight back home. There was a bar close by called Roxanne’s. We learned that most of these places require reservations (of course I wouldn’t expect anything less). We got comfy at the bar and I got fried buffalo cauliflower and she got mac & cheese dish. We had some pretty interesting drinks: mine had coconut milk and tasted light and refreshing. The night cap was a great way to end this quick getaway, especially because there was reflection and shared aspirations for the future.

I enjoyed Boston I want to see more of it when I return.

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Zaira Viteria

Tag: 2021

Vibing Out in Chi-Town

Boston, MA | Summer 2021