Day 8: The Big Drive

Yesterday I received–wham, pow–four rejection letters. Needless to say, I took the elevator down from my friend’s amazing Grant Park condo and went on a good, long walk along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shore. The sounds of the city filled my ears–sirens, children laughing, dogs barking, taxis honking, brakes screeching. The further I walked, the more I noticed an unusual sound. It was soft and distant at first, the sound of metal on metal. But once I focused on it, I realized it was the sound of metal clasps and pulleys clanking against the sail boat masts that filled the harbor. Like wind chimes at the beach, this urban version of lake and city life singing their metal chorus at dusk left a memorable impression on me.

I also made a point to walk through my favorite public art in Chicago, the gigantic steel “walking” sculptures on Grant Park. Somehow, these figures capture exactly how I feel when walking down a crowded street:

A good visit with my dear friend Zoelle also left its mark. Oh, the fun we had! Goodbye old pal, hello Eastern Standard Time Zone. I pulled into Interlochen, MI by suppertime.