The first week of April feels like the true beginning of the spring season. Spring Break 2024 was a week of rest and relaxation before the busy schedule resumes. The simple satisfaction of reorganizing the closet and downsizing the filing cabinet brought a sigh of relief as my nagging cold drifted away. Sprout was of course delighted to have an extra lap to stretch out on while we attempted to make any use of our hands whether it be reading or typing on the laptop. A stubborn and loyal companion, she didn’t like to budge unless repositioning herself in a semi circle for the next cat nap. Yes, it was a cat’s week alright as we played our way through another shelf of our board game library with the kitty butting her way into each game.

We need not travel far to enjoy our time together and the highlight of the week was a drive across the border into Chicagoland in about an hour. First stop, Mitsuwa, for a much needed restocking of our favorite pantry items, most importantly my tea supply. Unless bought online, there is nowhere else where I can find all of my favorite Japanese brands of Sencha, Genmaicha, Matcha, and Hōjicha teas with the bittersweet taste of the distinctly green liquid.

After our grocery shopping, we savored Kashi pan sweet buns with appetizers of seaweed and inarizushi-no-moto along with bowls of Shoyu Ramen from Santouka in the food court.

We kept the itinerary light after our Mitsuwa stop so that there would be time to explore that afternoon. Games Plus was next on the list where we perused the aisles of board games from floor to ceiling like seasoned pros.

The board game quest was followed by a quick turn of the Woodland Mall where we window-shopped like nobody’s business trying on shoes and purple mattresses while combing the stores for Funko Pops and Lego sets like two kiddos skipping through Disneyland.

Friday night was Date Night in the city for dinner at Daisies and a comedy show at The Annoyance Theatre. Just imagine a crispy onion dip and savory salad with sliced squash mixed with brown butter, pecans, and parmesan before we shared small plates of rigatoni and tortelloni. Nothing could quite top all that like a chocolate chip cookie and cup of chamomile tea with the petals still in the kettle before we both chuckled and belly laughed at the improvised thievery of the Swiped show.

The final stop of our staycation in the city was the Museum of Science and Industry the next morning. We took in the marvels of 3D printing, weather, transportation, genetics, and the environment among other exhibits. Highlights included the Blue Paradox immersive exhibit and the Black Creativity Juried Art exhibition. So much to see in so little time, we power-walked through all three floors like champs until our stomachs grumbled and we were on our way to Lem’s BBQ and Brown Sugar Bakery for rib tips and carrot cake for a late lunch.

Spring Break might be over but our adventures continue. Every day is the start of something new as we explore what’s happening around us. The staycation was a huge success as we splurged on a few of our favorite things in our neck of the woods. Who knows what we’ll be doing next weekend?