Last weekend my husband and I packed up our suitcases and headed to Logan Airport to catch an early Friday AM flight. We always look forward to the opportunity to get away together, just the two of us. It helps I married my best friend. Sometimes when we are planning an adults only trip our boys will say “Mommy, why can’t we come?” or “Daddy, it’s not fair!”. We mutually smile at our boys and explain that they benefit greatly from Mommy and Daddy not just loving each other but GENUINELY liking each other, too! And so away we go. Johnny and June. Bonnie and Clyde. And my personal favorite (for all you 80’s babies): Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski.
Here’s the catch with this trip though…ya ready? OUR DESTINATION WAS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN. You heard that right. Neither of us knew where we were being sent.
Andrew found a surprise travel agency, Pack Up + Go, and gifted me the trip for Christmas. In preparation he filled out a short survey with our interest and left the rest up to them! A week prior we received an email with a vague weather report and a few items to pack like a camera and walking shoes. And that was it!
So here’s the thing. This adventure has solidified for me that there are two types of people: those that LOVE the spontaneity and those that LOATHE it. We both fell into the former category (but I totally get the anxiety this type of trip can stir up in some). I loved the thought he put into it, the gamble he knew he was taking, and the unadulterated attitude needed by both of us to embrace the mystery. The excitement leading up to the reveal was thrilling!
The day before we left an envelope arrived in the mail with the words “DO NOT OPEN” on it. And we didn’t. Sure, we could have ruined the surprise right there and then…but why spoil all the fun? Instead, we waited until we were in the airport and opened the envelope for a big reveal! Drum roll please…
CHICAGO!
From there we boarded our flight and off we went. Included in the envelope was our hotel accommodations (exquisite by the way!) and a recommended itinerary. Their suggestions were exceptional. The whole trip was! We literally ate and laughed our way through the city!
We’ve been to Chicago prior. But always with our kids. We previously visited the Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, the Lincoln Park Zoo. But this trip was different. We were adulting in full form. We indulged in legendary deep dish pizza. We drank champagne with dark chocolate and napped together midday. We toured landmarks and took selfies (us-ies) every chance we could. We dressed up and had dinner in renowned Chef Andrew Zimmerman’s restaurant, Sepia. We had after dinner drinks at an epic tiki lounge, Three Dots and a Dash, and enjoyed a late night comedy show at The Second City. We went to bed at 2am!
The next day we headed out of town and took in 18 holes at the Cog Hill Golf Club. We ate lunch at a local pub and headed back into the city for an afternoon of exploration and shopping in Wicker Park. We then (gasp! BUCKET LIST ITEM!) took a helicopter ride overlooking the Chicago skyline; truly an amazing experience! We finished off the night grabbing drinks at Cindy’s rooftop bar and roaming the city only to stumble upon a hole in the wall humble kitchen that served up grilled cheese and tomato soup to us at 1am. My heart was so full. Full of love for this man I am blessed to share this life with, full of joy that we were spontaneously adventuring through this all together.
Day 3 we slept in. HALLELUJAH! We woke up at nearly lunch time and walked by the water for a bit before making our way to our final destination Au Cheval, home of Food Network‘s BEST burger in the US and burger.com‘s WORLD’S greatest burger. It did not disappoint. From there we rolled (literally) into O’Hare International to board our flight home. Or so we thought. In true Heath-style we made the best of our nearly 4 hour delay and kept the fun alive in the airport. We arrived back home in New Hampshire about 11 that night, fed as a couple and so grateful to walk into our home and kiss our sleeping princes on their foreheads before drifting off ourselves.
You guys! Check out Pack Up + Go! We can’t say enough! This will not be the last time we use their services. A getaway for the books!
N & A
HEATHFAMILYEXPERIENCE 