1997 Chicago Roadtrip - part 1

What started out as an innocent road trip to Chicago with my college roommate changed my life. We were on fall break from our sophomore year at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD and decided that we should get out of Dodge. We needed to get out of Dodge. Come to think of it...were we actually on fall break, or did we just skip class for an extended four day weekend? Tomato, tom(ah)to. I remember how wonderful and surreal it was to have the freedom to do so, having purchased my first car just months before the summer of that same year.

We made our plans and packed our bags, of course making sure to pack our compact disks, a road trip essential. I remember my roommate had just purchased a couple of new CD's for the trip "The Mighty Mighty Bostones - Let's Face It" and "Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle." Can you leave Best Buy or Target with just a single CD? Nope, you have to buy two. At least we had to. I wasn't familiar with either and remember thinking Who are the Barenaked Ladies? What a strange, perverse name for a band. But my doubts didn't last long when she told me that she had seen them live with Dave Matthews Band (at an outdoor concert in Colorado no less) and they were very fun and hilarious. A band that is a friend of Dave Matthews is a friend of mine. It was never clear to me at the time, but looking back this roommate in particular was so instrumental in breaking me out of the 'good girl mold.' Just a little though - we were good girls and still are now but I am so grateful now for the way that she at times very subtly nudged me to break the rules. Listen and love the "Barenaked Ladies," drink a beer, wear that spaghetti strap tank top...and so on. We crammed everything into my grey four door Ford Tempo and we were on our way.

We stopped just over mid way on our journey to stay overnight in Iowa City, IA with a best friend of mine that had recently transferred to the University of Iowa. I wasn't familiar with Iowa City or the University of Iowa since it was never on my list of schools I considered to attend. I knew a handful people from the popular crowd in my high school class would be attending and I was certain that they would somehow get in my way of a fresh start and furthermore crush the discovery of self promised to me by every college brochure I received in the mail. I would soon discover just how big the school was and for me to think that ten or so members of my graduating class would stand in my way was just plain ridiculous.

That night my roommate had plans to meet up with one of her friends from Sioux Falls at "The Union," one of the most popular college bars (Did I mention that here you don't have to be 21 to get in?) and I had plans to meet for coffee with my friend that we were staying with and another best friend from high school. We needed to catch up, just the three of us, so we went to "The Java House," the most wonderful coffee shop in the world. I had my first "Sugar Daddy Latte" and couldn't get over how much I loved everything about the inviting and relaxing atmosphere of the shop; the smell of the coffee, sounds of shoes on the creaky refinished old wood floor and jingle of the bell on the door as people walked in or out. I couldn't help but look around in amazement at the dimly lit space with an old but functioning wooden phone booth and calming grey colored walls that were lined with artwork highlighted by track lighting. It was real artwork, not 'hotel art' or framed posters. There were all types of seating arrangements to accommodate all needs for drinking a cup of coffee; comfortable sofas arranged with low coffee tables, bar stools, and large tables with lamplight for studying. I wanted to move in.

It was a nice night and we continued to catch up on each other's lives as we walked back to my friend's room located in the Courrier dorm through the pedestrian mall, known to all college students and residents as the 'Ped Mall.' Everywhere we went I looked around in amazement. People were out walking around and enjoying themselves. All kinds of people. I felt a connection to a city and a school that up to this point in my life I hadn't felt before. It was an equal mix of old and new that made it very unique. It felt like I was experiencing the culture, artwork, and other qualities of a big city, although in reality I was in a small town in Iowa no less. I wished that I had more time to explore and people watch. I loved the reminder to the history and heritage of Iowa City that I felt while walking along cobblestone roads looking at the old buildings that were restored and sustained. This was over eleven years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.