back from Chicago

I was in Chicago. As was my suitcase, from day one. Those of you who have been visiting for a while know that I am not always lucky with luggage. Air travel is such a faff, I hate every minute of it. Back in January and by sheer luck, I got a flavour of business class travel when I went to Malawi and I now want to be rich so I never again have to fight over the armrest in economy, or touch knees with a stranger. 

I checked into my hotel and got upgraded to a room with two gigantic beds. I am not sure I showed enough gratitude when I pointed out I did not need two king sized beds. I should have asked for breakfast instead because that is not included in the eye watering price. They pre-charged my card £543 for incidentals and there is not even a minibar in the room. No room service either so who knows what the incidentals might be. I kept myself awake on this arrival day, walking around the neighbourhood and stopping by a Whole Foods market to stock up my empty minibar fridge with dinner, breakfast, orange juice and milk. 

Tuesday was a day of exploration and shopping because when you travel that far for a conference, you just have to add a bit of free time. I explored mostly on foot but also using the overground train. SIt is a funny old place, Chicago. Beautiful in some areas, pompous elsewhere and then there are pockets that are dark and in need of some attention. Flags everywhere and signs warning not to bring guns inside at many venues. Disconcerting. I wanted to end the day with a visit to the Art Institute but found it closed. It is a funny old place, Chicago. Beautiful in some areas, pompous elsewhere and then there are pockets that are dark and in need of some attention. Flags everywhere and signs warning not to bring guns inside at many venues. Disconcerting. 

The first scientific sessions started on Wednesday morning. For the rest of my time in Chicago, I was on on my feet constantly, clocking up working hours like nothing else. I attended some good sessions, and some not so great ones. Some big figures in the field have not updated their slides since circa 2010. Shame on them. I recorded a podcast with my podcasting pals in the lobby of the hotel and spent some time at the exhibitor booth at the Parasites without Borders booth, talking to lots of people interested in their charitable work. I also went to a book reading I was invited to. I had already listened to the books so knew it would be worth my while. If you want to read one single book about parasitic diseases and the impact on families and societies these can have, make it The Kissing Bug by Daisy Hernandez. Daisy is a great storyteller and the book is also really well researched. The reading was followed by a reception with pretty and tasty finger foods. I went for dinner with podcast cohosts one evening and for late cocktails another. As I experienced before at conferences set in the US, interactions with others are warm and enthusiastic but fleeting. I made no new lasting contacts but strengthened the links with a few that I already had. 

By Sunday lunchtime, I was done in. I thought I might go back to the Art Institute to see if it was open but in the end, I bought a sandwich and chilled out in my room until late checkout. The overnight flight home was uneventful with a long wait in Dublin on Monday. I purchased a day pass for a lounge and spent some time working on a lecture, drinking buckets of coffee. Although exhausted I went to ballet on Monday evening because otherwise, I would have gone to be and suffered for it for days. 

Thanks for visiting. I hope to visit some blogs this week, too. It has been too long! 😊