Last Wednesday was my Chicago staycation day. I only had time this Spring Break week to carve out one day for sightseeing, but I was determined to get downtown to see those Impressionist paintings. So here, in no specific order, are the things I loved.

1. The Chicago Art Institute. For eighteen dollars, I saw genius revealed.

2. Livestrong.com. I mapped how far it is to walk from the Olgivie Transportation Center to the Art Institute and back. According to Livestrong, it is 1.77 miles and instead of taking a bus or a taxi, I walked it. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Yeah, me!

3. My daughter. I love the woman she has grown up to be. And I love the restaurants she chooses. We had great Japanese food and good conversation.

4. Metra. I drove my car to a parking garage that is two short blocks from the train station. I took a comfortable commuter train to the city center, avoiding stressing myself out on the expressway. I read my Paris travel guide and arrived rested and ready to sight-see. On the way home, I stopped at the new French Market at the train station and picked up some gorgeous apples to take home with me. I love public transportation.

Elvis Presley once said that to achieve happiness, you need someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. In Chicago, I have all of those things.