Day 1: Toronto to Chicago

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I left work at noon on my way to Chicago. Made sure I had all my necessities clothes, medicine, passport. I try to pack lightly and I knew along the way I can replace most everything except for my passport. So I would passing through the Sarnia border crossing on my way to the USA. I usually use that crossing because it is not as busy so you get through faster.

Travelling alone I usually get interrogated by border police. I was expecting it to be even harsher this time because it would be the farthest trip I have ever done driving. So I took a deep breath as I approached the border. The border official asked me where I was going and I informed all the way to California. He seemed skeptical that I was doing it all alone but I remained calm and after eyeing me for a minute he waved me through. So always remain calm and polite and it will get you through most border situations.

Had to stop near the border to handle a tech support call from Technicolor. In exchange for allowing me to go on this trip and covering the data for my cellphone usage I agreed to cover my IT calls while traveling. This was tricky because I would be on the move most of the time but I wanted to test out my remote procedures. For the most part my remote procedure worked properly and my building can be covered remotely.

Gas prices in the USA are almost half the price in Canada even with the exchange rate. This was one of the reasons why I chose a driving trip because it was more affordable than flying to all these places. I was making good time until I reached the suburbs of Chicago. I started hitting traffic and tolls. I spent almost $20 in tolls just going on the Skyway of Chicago. Traffic was heavy on the skyway so I am not sure if the toll was worth it but I made through. Chicago is similar to Toronto in population and traffic so it looked familiar to me.

Hostel for tonight was Wrigley hostel which was a block away from Wrigley stadium. Parking was an issue because the hostel was in an apartment/house. I managed to find one in a parking garage nearby. I kept most of my possessions in the car and only had a daypack to carry to the hostel. It was late at night and it had taken me 8+ hours to get to Chicago. I kept my lookout as I walked the dark streets near Wrigley stadium but I had chosen well because there was a police station nearby.

I got my hostel and checked in and paid the $30 for 1 night. I was hungry so dinner for tonight was a fancy pizza from a nearby restaurant. It was ranch dressing and chicken and I will say it was a strange taste and I wished I had eaten something else. Not much was going on in the hostel but we listened to someone singing upstairs and watched a Chicago bulls game. I went to sleep and prepared myself for tomorrow.

I had a strange dream that night about blood and shouting. As it turns out it was not a dream but I will explain that in my next blog entry.

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