My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Restaurants
  • Recipes
  • Par’s Picks
  • Privacy Policy

A Winter Staycation in Chicago

written by Parita Leave a Comment

When I used to think about staycations, I’d think of staying in your own home and doing nothing. This never sounded fun to me because I’m someone who can always find something to do – dishes, laundry, organizing, etc. I can’t just sit in my own home and do nothing.

When my sister suggested Vishnu and I go on a short trip in February (she even sent me dates that her and my BIL could watch K), I hesitated at first because who wants to travel in February in the Midwest…? Not me!

But then Vishnu suggested we do a staycation in Chicago, but instead of staying home, we stay at a hotel in the city for a couple of nights. Now that was something I could get on board with.

I messaged my sister to double check that the weekend we were thinking would work for her and Adarsh, and then I told Vishnu to pick a hotel.

He choose the Langham Chicago. A little pricey (but still 1/2 the price of what it would be), but his logic (which I agreed with) was that if we were going on an actual vacation, we’d be paying a lot more. Given that we’re not going on an actual vacation for a while, this felt like the perfect little splurge.

So here’s the thing about doing a staycation during Covid…it’s super relaxing because you can’t do much anyways.

On Friday, we got to the hotel around 4 pm. We checked in and then literally watched TV and talked until it was time to figure out dinner. I have a ton of Lettuce Entertain You dollars, so we ordered in from RPM (also my fav restaurant in the city). We watched Crazy Rich Asians before passing out for the night.

Saturday morning started later than it ever has. I didn’t sleep well the night before, so I stayed in bed until 11 am! UNHEARD OF! We then ordered breakfast from Wildberry (Vishnu’s fav). Next up, a lonnnnng walk around the city. Thankfully, the weather was great, so we ended up covering close to 6 miles. We walked mostly along the lake, which was literally a white winter wonderland. We can home, legs aching, and opted to watch TV and chill. When hunger hit again, we ordered in from Small Cheval (I got a delish lettuce wrapped veggie burger!). We ended the night with the Netflix movie The White Tiger.

Sunday…time to go home. I woke up early, squeezed in a quick workout, and showered, while Vishnu ran and got us coffee. We then hung out for a bit in our room before picking up lunch for the gang back home.

In some ways, it feels like we literally did nothing. In my eyes, that was the best part. Vishnu and I haven’t had time like this together in a very long time (like so many couples), and we’re so lucky to have my sister and BIL closeby and the resources to do something like this.

If at all possible, I highly recommend it, even if for one night. Although, we did spend a lot of our time watching videos of Kaiden, and then FaceTiming with them back at home! Ha! That’s just how it goes I suppose.

As for K, he had a blast with his masa and masi. I was a little worried because when I talked to him about the weekend and what he could expect, he told me that he didn’t want them to come over and that he wanted to go with mama and dada. But of course, like with everything else, he had so much fun. In fact, he was super sad when Aekta and Adarsh left our place on Sunday. Breaking my heart all over the place!

Overall thoughts on the Langham – We said we give it a 4/5. It’s a beautiful hotel, in a great part of town, but I’m sure we could’ve found a comparable property for much less than what we even paid. I will say though, if you’re going to use all the facilities and eat at the restaurants, this could be a worthwhile investment.

Friday Stuff [#8]

written by Parita Leave a Comment

What a week! I thought all the snow we were/are getting in Chicago was/is bad, but then Texas got hit with some crazy (to say the least) weather. I'm so thankful we live in a city that's prepped for what it faces. I can't imagine what people in Keep Reading...

The Magic of a Pause

written by Parita 1 Comment

Happy Wednesday, y'all! I hope you're having a good week so far. My week has been pretty standard. Work is fairly busy and home life is well...fun and chaotic as ever! Never a boring day with a toddler around! I wanted to share a lesson I Keep Reading...

January Goals Review

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Hello strangers! It's been over a month since I've posted here. I don't think that's happened in 10+ years. With MIS IG posts + Awarify IG posts and the newsletter, I'm finding it hard to keep up. Believe it or not, I even thought about Keep Reading...

State of Our Household – 3.5 Years Old

written by Parita 2 Comments

Kaiden is officially 3.5 years old! We have a full blown little man on our hands, y'all. He literally sounds like a teenager sometimes (which can be funny or not so much depending on the day). I think I've said this with every age, but I love 3. Keep Reading...

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

written by Parita Leave a Comment

If you're still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu, feel free to steal some ideas from what we're making. Something to know about me is that I LOVE Thanksgiving food. Like LOVE! We didn't celebrate it in the traditional way growing up, but Keep Reading...

Friday Stuff [#7]

written by Parita Leave a Comment

It's been a while since I've come on here and just shared...stuff. Like all the stuff - thoughts, plans, things, etc. That's what this post is all about. Get excited! So first and foremost, we're doing well. Chicago and the state of Illinois Keep Reading...

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 185
  • Next Page »
Welcome to My Inner Shakti! This is my little corner of the internet where I explore and share more about the things that give me my inner strength. I hope you stick around! Read More Here...

MIS gives back!

All advertising proceeds from this blog will be donated to a different charity every month!

Subscribe to MIS

Sign up now to receive all the latest from My Inner Shakti straight to your inbox!

Follow me on Feedly!

follow us in feedly

LOVE my blog!

Follow on Bloglovin

Web Hosting

categories

Archives

Top Posts!

  • My Experience with Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Acne Update: Jojoba Oil + Tea Tree Oil
  • Diary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Khusbu Banko
  • The Grass is Greener…
  • Marriage Advice for My Little Sister
  • Boiling Tempeh
  • A Winter Staycation in Chicago
  • Instant Pot Veggie Sausage Pasta
  • An Honest Review of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”
  • Drunk Elephant Daytime and Nighttime Skincare Routines

Follow me on Instagram!

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username
Copyright ©2021, My Inner Shakti. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs