Getting Chilly in Chicago

After the holiday season, it's a surprisingly short grind to the first 3-day weekend of the New Year - thank you, Martin Luther King Day. Luckily, this is a federal holiday that the majority of my fellow young professionals also have off work, and after the rude awakening of both winter and being back at my desk, I was already itching for a quick getaway.

Chicago has been on my list of American urban centers for some time now. I have spent many a layover sprinting through the O'Hare airport trying to catch a connection, but had never actually set foot in the Windy City. Perhaps we didn't quite think through the truth in that moniker when booking flights to Chicago in the middle of JANUARY, but despite the wind chill and store-to-store sightseeing we resorted to, the clear skies and warm vibe of the city kept my friends and I entertained and toasty during our 3-day jaunt.