Chicago holds such a special place in my heart for many reasons. Three summers ago three of my best friends moved there. I was so excited for them. I felt like they were doing real adult things. They saved their money, sold their cars, left their families, and found an apartment together in one of the biggest cities in the states. It was definitely an adventure for them; trying to find jobs, trying to navigate the large city, and trying to make new friends. My two other friends and I went out to visit a couple months after they moved. The trip was so much fun. There were six of us girls, taking on Chicago. They took us to Navy Pier, to a Cubs game, snuck me into some bars (I was the only one who wasn’t 21 at the time), and biked around the city. It was like a long slumber party. When it was time to leave, going back to Vegas didn’t feel the same. Now that I had tasted what life is like in Chicago, my life back in Vegas didn’t seem all that great. I realized if I lived in Chicago though, it wouldn’t be like that trip all the time. They had requested days off work when we were there and we went out every day, but usually, they are all working and on different schedules. I knew my friends weren’t always having that much fun.

Every summer after they moved I have gone out there and every time I leave I still feel that same sorrow in my heart. Maybe it’s because I don’t have many girlfriends who are still in Vegas or maybe because Chicago really is an amazing city. I have even brought my boyfriend out there with me twice and once I braved visiting in the cold month of December. This time I had brought my mom and this time as I drove away in the Uber on my way to the airport, I couldn’t help tearing up. One thing I have always been thankful for in my life are my friends. Two of the girls in Chicago I’ve been friends with since elementary school, the other friends who came out there with me I’ve been best friends with since freshman year of high school. I have amazing memories with all of these girls and for that, I am blessed.

Another reason I love Chicago is that my mom was born there and lived there until she was 13. That makes it extremely important to me. While my mom was living in Chicago, she religiously followed baseball. The Chicago Cubs were her team. Every week her grandpa would take her and her three sisters to Ladies Day at Wrigley Field so he would only have to pay for himself. She used to keep a scrapbook of the newspaper clippings with all the Cubs scores until she moved to Denver. Forty years later, while she no longer keeps a scrapbook, she always has kept up with the Cubs. Finally, after 108 years of cursed luck, the Cubs made my mom’s and millions of others’ dreams come true. In 2016 they won the World Series, which had been over a century in the making. My mom was over the moon and I remember she told me it was her dream to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field next year.

Thinking I was not going to make it out to Chicago this summer since I had a fairly new job and I wanted to use my vacation time to go to Asia, I told my friends not to expect me. Then when I was thinking of what to get my mom for her birthday in August, I thought why would I not make my mom’s dream come true. I could buy plane tickets and baseball tickets and we would already have a place to stay. I could visit my friends at the same time and even visit during one of their birthdays. I was so excited; I almost couldn’t wait to tell my mom.

It was only a four-day trip, but I purposely bought tickets to a baseball game on our first day there because I knew she would want to go see another during one of the days after – sure enough she did. The first game we went to happened Wednesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Tuesday night they had smashed the D-backs 16 to 4, so it should have been an easy win. Unfortunately not only did the Cubs lose, but they got shutout (3-0). It was really disappointing. I had never wanted the Cubs to win so badly, but my mom still had a great time. We had gotten to Wrigley Field early so she could walk around and take pictures. She hadn’t been to that field since she was 13! We bought a couple of souvenirs for my dad and brother and of course, bought some hot dogs to enjoy while we were watching the game. We didn’t get to hear “Go, Cubs, Go” at the end of the game, which they play every time they win, but we did have a great time together.

My mom loved it so much that we went back Friday. It was a day game against the Washington Nationals. It was a cold day in Chicago. Other people were in shorts and eating ice cream, but at 61 degrees out and overcast, I was wishing they were serving hot cocoa at the field. Again I was hoping they could fly that W, but Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo let me down again. We lost 4-2. We walked around Wrigleyville after the game so I could show her how crazy it gets. Even when the team loses there’s still music on the street and long lines to get into the bars.

While we had some bad luck with baseball in Chicago, I thought maybe in Phoenix it would be different. The Cubs were going to be in Arizona the next weekend and I wanted to see them rematch the D-backs so I bought my mom and myself tickets. I called it the second part of her birthday present, but honestly, she deserves getting gifts for no reason. Of course, Saturday, when we didn’t go to the game they won 7-4 against the Nationals. Even though we weren’t there for it, my mom was excited that they were winning again and she had a great time on the trip.