1st stop on the Life in Luggage tour, Chicago.  I’m here to visit one of the besties and her man. She’s been going through the emotional ups and downs of private adoption and I think some fried food, laughter and a gin & tonic (her beverage of choice) will do us both some good That + five days on the most comfy day bed on the Southside and daily visits with my 90-year old Great Aunt, who after years is now like an Aunt to my friend as well. Bestie’s man cooks like he owns a five star Southern restaurant and I eat his food like I’m competing for a prize.  We grab Auntie and try for our usual shopping trips Downtown but there’s business to handle. Auntie is moving out of her gorgeous apartment into a Senior Living facility. This apartment! During an an early visit to Chicago as a child, she was the first woman I knew with a real vanity and dressing area in her room, like in 1940’s B&W movies. For her, she’s remembering 50 years of Vintage Black Glamour (love that Facebook page) hosting lavish parties for Chicago elite and small gatherings for family and her gentleman callers. Auntie is sad to leave the apartment but the neighborhood has changed for the worse and she’d rather have peace of mind than her piece of land. I’ve left my house for peace of mind so I understand her completely.