There I was, at another gathering of lawyers, listening to further readings about how AI would change everything from our legal rights to our socks. Along the way, I realized. For the first time, a conference room looked less drab than the waiting room of a giant funeral parlor. This one was very distinctive, with charcoal gray wood paneling and tan fabric wall coverings framing clean, amber-lit shelves displaying Japanese-style vases. I must have had high expectations, since I was taken to the Nobu, the only 5-star hotel in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
I was so touched by this unexpected departure from the mundane that I called my friends in town to tell them not to be depressed about the empty room after all. Instead, I rolled my carry-on bag to the front desk, where I learned the hotel was a member of Leading Hotels of the World. And luckily for me, I belong to that leaders’ club. This was clearly an invitation from Providence to book a short stay. I rolled into the Zen Suite and bypassed my business trip for an elegant, ad hoc experience.
As selfish as that may sound, consider that business travel is not only tiring but also unprofessionally demanding. If the main thing you do is work somewhere other than home or eat at a restaurant you’ve never been to before, that’s what travel writers call traveling, or writing. It’s just something to struggle with. Being cut off from your familiar surroundings and having to look and sound your best in a professional setting can create an unsettling feeling of isolation, even in a crowded boardroom.
Pampering yourself and feeling good isn’t just good for your soul; A positive mindset is good for business because it is a necessary prerequisite for taking the right actions. That’s why you can find enough work to fill all your free time and rush home by the quickest means possible, but if you have any free time in your schedule and can derail just a little, then do it. Please. Take advantage of those small moments of potential productivity and turn your business trip into a proper travel experience.
This time, we took advantage of our first fun interlude and went on a boat ride. A long tradition has seen boats travel up and down the Chicago River and into Lake Michigan, known for its architectural tours of the cityscape. I chose the open air craft operated by Seadog because I liked the name. Our guide, Darren, was standing at the bow. Although he was only 19 years old, Darren memorized the names, architects, styles, and construction details of all the important skyscrapers along the river that runs through the center of the town like a stream through a dense pine forest. I recited it for nearly 90 minutes. It had never occurred to me to look up and appreciate the assemblage of glass, steel, and concrete that had become such an important expression of American design. The tour itself was a relaxing, fun, and incredibly geeky way to spend an hour and a half in the ocean.
The next fleeting opportunity for some personal time was a return visit to the American Writers Museum, which focuses on important American writers and their works. Occupying the second floor of an office building, the museum offers simple, American-lite exhibits that ask you to read the first line of a famous book and remember its title. Rotate the crossed out placard to reveal the answer.
There is a manual typewriter on the desk, and you are encouraged to type out your original prose. In the days before personal computing, I took what would now be a required middle school touch-typing class. The class was an unappealing symphony of a cacophony of tapping keys and the sound of a bell ending a line. It was the only time I got a straight D, and I went home grateful that I would never be asked to type anything again.
Another station offered hang tags where you could write notes about your family’s immigration experience and hang them on nails on the wall. I have summarized my clan’s arrival story to read in full. “We came here because they tried to kill us.” The museum’s hard work to maintain a friendly, unintimidating text is perhaps a reflection of the American English language. It would indicate a decline in the public’s appreciation for the raw expressiveness and emotional resonance of American literature.
When it comes to finding personal time while traveling, the key to success is finding something that’s fun, easily accessible, and instantly enjoyable. In Lincoln Park, the city manages the smaller of the area’s two zoos. But it’s surprisingly well stocked and, importantly, close to a business center and free, so you can easily pop in for 30 minutes to see a few beasts without feeling cheated. You can. My own visit wasn’t very long, but I was able to spend some quality time with the penguins and primates, along with Sigmund, a well-traveled and comfortable stuffed monkey (in a business suit that fits in his pocket) . However, there was a long line for cotton candy. Whenever you have a meeting, something unfortunate is bound to happen.
Remember, this is a business trip and your children and other loved ones will be expecting you to bring home something local. I was able to make a quick detour to the shop of Fannie Mae, a chocolatier with a 100-year history in Chicago. I left the store with a box of chocolates and was then allowed to safely return to my home.
On our last night, of course, we ate at the restaurant Nobu. There, Chef Edgar Escalante Vazquez and his team offer unique interpretations of the brand’s signature Japanese fusion cuisine. I started with miso soup which was surprisingly complex. This is served in a traditional manner. No spoon provided, just poured into a bowl to drink. For one of my next courses (I’m sure there’s a note somewhere listing exactly how many dishes I tried), I had the A5 Wagyu Beef (top grade). It was more tender than expected and the meat was nicely carved and set my table on fire. The sudden geyser of flames startled a man dining nearby, but it wouldn’t be gourmet Japanese cuisine without at least one unique stylistic quirk.
The meeting went well (thankfully!) and the flight home was thankfully uneventful. When I return to Chicago on my next visit, I will call the friend I was planning to stay with this time again and invite them to dine with me at Nobu.
chicago to do list
It was my first time flying Spirit Airlines and I booked the more comfortable Big Front Seat class. www.spirit.com.
Nobu Hotel Chicago, 155 North Peoria Street, Chicago; make hotel reservations through Leading Hotels of the World (www.lhw.com/hotel/bou-chicago-il). 800-223-6800. Nobu Restaurant: 312-779-8800.
For more information about Seadog Cruises, 600 East Grand Ave., Chicago (Navy Pier): 312-321-1241; navypier.org/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets/
American Writers Museum, 180 North Michigan Avenue; www.americanwritersmuseum.org.
Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. (312) 742-2000. Free for everyone
I shopped at the Fannie Mae store at 343 North Michigan Avenue. www.fannie mae.com
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