"Drove to Chicago..."

Yet another visit to Chicago that didn't go as I'd hoped, but turned out to be well worth the trip.

Last night I finished packing my life into luggage. This morning I rearranged for weight. Twice. I was prepared to get to Chicago, have the consulate say, "Why yes, your visa is ready early!", call my travel agent to book an immediate flight, say a teary goodbye to my parents, and depart for my new home in Korea. As my travel agent told me the night before: "You're trying to do the impossible." I was hoping the world would somehow be in sync with me and that everything would work out.

I stayed up all night, thinking that I could sleep during the 14 hour flight. I rode in the car filled with anticipation and adrenaline. I called the consulate as we were arriving in Chicago to see if my visa was ready early, because they told me it might be. My visa was not ready early.

So the deal is this: I need to arrive on a Wednesday to start my training for work. No flights after 3pm would get me to Korea on Wednesday. Instead, I need to wait a week and fly out next Monday to arrive in Korea by that Wednesday. Thus, I am in Madison for 6 more days.

On the not-so-bright side: my life is all packed away and I'll be living out of my suitcases for a week, only to have to repack them; worse, this means one more week of my kids having a substitute teacher and me not bonding with them.

On the bright side: I ended up having another fantastic day in Chicago with my parents! On Friday when we went for my visa interview, we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was great. Today we visited the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. There was a free music at noon at the park pavilion, and the band was great (JT and the Clouds).

I'd been telling my parents that I thought the art museum was where there was a gallery of miniature rooms, but we couldn't find anything that said for certain if that was true. We headed in and were pleased to see that it was the place! Despite having been to Chicago to other museums a number of times, apparently my parents had never been to the Art Institute of Chicago. I'd gone on school trips, and had fallen in love with the miniature rooms. My interest in interior design and history is sparked by the intricate and painstaking detail of these tiny models. It was great to share the experience with my parents. For the rest of the afternoon we had a wonderful time wandering through the museum. It certainly beat sitting on a plane!

So, even though I've now had two crazy, unplanned days in Chicago, they both ended up being much more fun than anticipated, and helped remind me that there is a real beauty in spontaneity. I often forget to appreciate the decisions we make in the present, and the value of appreciating those moments, because I'm so concentrated on what's coming next and planning the future. It's been amazing to have two great days of appreciating the present with my parents, and I'll definitely treasure these memories once I finally get to Korea!