Natalie Lee poses in front of Chicago's skyline.
Every year, I travel to The Windy City, home to the Chicago Cubs, deep dish pizza, and my father’s side of the family. I got to revisit some of my family’s past and enjoy sightseeing at the same time.
Chicago’s history and culture is a vast one. Around every corner is a significant building, park or statue. But what makes Chicago especially important to me is how my family’s history is tied to the city.
A crowd gathers at Lake Michigan's beach to enjoy some sun.
This is the place where my grandfather settled down after immigrating from Taiwan for a better education. The Old Watertower, one of the original buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire, is where my dad proposed to my mom. My grandmother still lives in my father’s childhood home; it’s small, but to me, it’s a museum in its own right. Everything is wonderfully familiar, and even though Chicago isn’t my hometown, just knowing that fragments of my family’s past are scattered throughout the city makes me feel nostalgic.
The Blackhawk's prospects scrimmage at Johnny's Ice House West.
In the present, I visited Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lake Michigan’s shore and the Magnificent Mile. My favorite part of this trip was having some special one-on-one time with my dad and watching the Cubs and White Sox, both Chicago-based team and rivals, play at Wrigley Field. After watching our team, the Cubs, defeat the White Sox, we explored a comic book store on Clark Street. I hope that next year, when I return to Chicago, I’ll be able to make even more memories.