When I think of Chicago, I think of Cloud Gate, often called “The Bean.” There are many iconic places in visit in Chicago, but Cloud Gate was at the top of my list. It was a hot day, but I was determined to see everything in Millennium Park. No pain, no see the bean. 
It was just as I had imagined and more. What I had not counted on was the entertainment of “people watching” around Cloud Gate. In some ways it was more interesting than Cloud Gate itself. ‘Hi, my name is Dana and I am a people watcher.’ I guess that’s no surprise because I’m in social work.
The bean itself was amazing and I loved walking around it and looking at it from different angles. Whether you look at it from underneath it or whether you look at it from the sides, you’ll get a very different impression of it. I was having way too much fun taking photos from different viewpoints…but it was only when I put my camera away that I saw how other people reacted to it.
There were people all around the bean, from the old to the young, from all cultures and backgrounds. There were two college-age girls posing in front of it and a couple taking turns posing like they were holding up the bean. I loved watching the kids that thought they could climb it. I overheard an older couple arguing over what Cloud Gate meant. A group of people was trying to convince those in the group that there was a trap door and an office in the bean. We even ran into a couple we had seen on a tour the day before and they were just as enthralled by how people were interacting with the bean.
The next time you’re in Chicago, go check out Cloud Gate—I would love to hear what you think about it. Now, a final question for my readers: Is it better to bean or not to bean?
Wanderlust or Bust 