Last week I traveled to Chicago to visit a friend and research possible graduate school opportunities. This was my first time in Chicago in five years. As an evaluator, I wanted to learn what makes Chicago so unique. As I “re-familiarized” with the city, the whole experience left me with a lasting impression. A whole list of things I observed, including The Loop, the major cultural institutions, the food, the traffic and the vast expanse of the city are things that a guy from Duluth is simply not used to.

What really impressed me is how the Chinatown area is quite well developed with restaurants, bakeries and shop all stuffed in the area between Cermak Road and Wentworth Street. I learned over 30,000 Asian residents live in that relatively small area. My parents frequently recruit in the area for cooks for their restaurant, The Golden Inn, in Superior, WI.

I was also impressed just traveling through downtown along the Magnificent Mile down to Navy Pier. The architecture of buildings, ranging from Gothic to modern, is quite amazing. On a nice summer day, a walk through Navy Pier is a memorable one.

From my trip, I learned that I should travel to new places more often. Additionally, it was interesting to me how useful evaluation can be in all types of situations. Have you also done similar evaluations traveling to new places?