Week 6 and Beyond!

Wow, what a whirlwind of a last two weeks! When I last posted on this blog over two weeks ago, I thought I would have ample opportunity to sit down and write one final post before I left Chicago. Not only have I spent 5 days in New York since then, I am already back in my student digs in Birmingham ready to begin my final year! I guess, actually, a 'whirlwind' perfectly describes my entire internship experience and it is fitting that I didn't have a spare minute in my final week to write about it. I even worked at the Residence on the last Friday night, which left me with just a couple of hours on Saturday to pack.

So, diary in hand, here I am reminiscing about my last four days at the Consulate! Following Labor Day, I went on a visit with our Vice Consul of Innovation and Economics to the University of Illinois Campus in 'Champagne' (not as glamorous as it sounds). In fact, Champagne is pretty rural- our two hour drive consisted of corn fields and not a whole lot else. The campus itself, however, was amazing. We were taken on a tour of their new research park, went inside Blue Waters supercomputer and even watched a 3D reconstruction of hurricane Katrina. It was a very cool place and we had many interesting meetings with very knowledgeable professors. When we eventually got back to Chicago at around 7pm, we went for tapas with some colleagues and onto a bar in Wrigleyville. 8am-1am days are far more fun than 9-5, but don't leave much time for blogging! ;)

My last couple of days consisted of wrapping up my final pieces of work and internal wash-up meetings with the Consul General and other members of staff. I was able to submit my up to date Midwest Swing States report, I only wish I could have stayed in America to see how my predictions turned out!

We marked the end of my internship with a couple of lovely get togethers, which included an incredible meal at a restaurant called Sable (if you're ever in Chicago, you must go!) and a little gathering in one of our conference rooms in the Consulate, complete with beer and a speech by the Deputy Consul General. I couldn't believe I would be leaving Chicago at the weekend, I felt like I was leaving home! I guess this really is tribute to the staff at the British Consulate and how welcome they made me feel from day one.



Last Night in Chicago

When I finally left Chicago, I did have something rather exciting to look forward to, which took the edge off leaving somewhat! I flew to New York to meet my parents for a few days 'down time' before starting my final year at University. We had a wonderful time there and it was a fabulous end to the summer of a lifetime!

Thanks so much for reading my blog throughout my time in Chicago, I have very much enjoyed having my own little place to reflect on all the experiences I have had this summer. After such an incredible, life changing internship experience, I am now faced with the minor task of finishing my degree and graduating next summer. I know that I will take the skills, experiences and friends made in Chicago with me through my life and my time there will undoubtedly help me in my next step, wherever that may take me! Onwards and Upwards, I hope!

Love, Claire x

Week Five!

Happy Labor Day!! 

Today has been spent not at work, but brunching in Ravenswood, riding the El around Chicago and swimming in the lake! It was supposed to rain this weekend but, luckily, we managed to avoid it! I have very much enjoyed my first long weekend in Chicago, complete with an early finish at work on Friday and a holiday weekend BBQ. I am totally refreshed and happy to get back to work tomorrow! 

I have to tell you about my visit to Cook County jail last week with work. Cook County is the biggest jail in the US and houses around 10,000 prisoners. It once housed Al-Capone! Now, I have seen prisons on TV and I knew pretty much what to expect, but nothing can really prepare you for stepping foot in one for the first time. We were given a tour of the different departments and talked through the processes that take place when prisoners arrive. We met with sheriffs and guards and spoke a little about the demographics of the prison and the protocols in place should foreign nationals be arrested. We saw real life prisoners, both male and female, and really got a feel for the crazy living conditions in US jails. Some prisoners are in their cells 23 hours a day. Even just spending a couple of hours there, it is amazing how quickly you become desensitised to the conditions. When I first arrived, I was pretty shocked, but you quickly adjust and accept that this is how the US justice system works. I am not convinced of its effectiveness, but the whole experience was still incredibly eye opening and to see it first hand was an amazing opportunity. Perhaps the first experience I have had in Chicago that I wouldn't jump at the chance to do again, but I am so glad I did it all the same!


Other than the County Cook visit, work-wise this past week has been the most relaxed so far. With the holiday weekend looming, I spent much of the week finishing off some reports, doing research ahead of a couple of visits, responding to emails and making calls. Even quieter weeks are still so insightful and interesting for me, as these are tasks and skills I can really take back to university with me and transfer to future roles. On Thursday we finished work at lunch time to celebrate UKTI surpassing their targets. We had a picnic and then spent the afternoon at the beach- it was awesome and so good to hang out with everyone from the office outside of work.

The best thing about a quiet week at work is you still have plenty of energy to explore Chicago at night! I have done some shopping, visited another roof bar, been to a couple of clubs, caught up with Alumni Buddies and generally had A LOT of fun. The night life here is actually pretty great and I am enjoying having the time to experience it properly! I guess I have been having too much fun to take many photos this week, sorry! I will be sure to snap away during my last week. 

So, 4 more days at work, 5 more days in Chicago! It has officially become my favourite city in the world and I will be incredibly sad to leave. For now, I will enjoy every last second of my last week and take lots of photos for my final blog post! 

Week Four!

Sorry for the lack of post this weekend- internet in my appartment has ranged from none to atrocious!! However, now it is back and I have lots to report!!

Besides Chicago work and play to tell you about, I went on business trips to both Kentucky and Indiana last week. I am going to start by telling you about those!

So, last Sunday we flew to Kentucky. A little over an hours flight- while I was sitting there I just had time to work out it was my 23rd since last summer... sorry Polar Bears!! 

Our 3 days in Kentucky were brilliant. I very much enjoyed my first official business trip! We attended World Trade Day in Lexington, where we did lots of networking and prosperity related calls. We  fitted in a trip to the University of Kentucky too and met with an Ambassador to talk about the US Presidential race in the state. We also found time to eat Pizza at an awesome little place that had been converted from an old gas station and sampled Kentucky bourbon. 

On Tuesday we drove down to Louisville. Louisville is the real cultural and entrepreneurial hub of Kentucky, where everything is happening. It is a great city, and the meetings we had there (including one with a US army colonel) were fun and memorable. We even got a tour of the Frazier Arms Museum, which was brilliant. They are opening a Princess Diana exhibition there so they thought we might be interested- it all felt very British and quite bizarre that we were in the middle of Kentucky, but I am very glad we got to see it all the same. 

The couple of visits that I had set up went smoothly, much to my relief and although the hours were long, it was fantastic to get to see such a different state. Only an hours flight from Chicago, it felt like a different country. The culture, climate, landscape, accent, food... everything was a world away from the windy city. Although Kentucky is officially part of the Midwest, it is widely considered a Southern state, with a largely Southern mentality and that is where you see the real differences. The area is also fairly rural, with an abundance of horses, farms and, of course, the Appalachians (the oldest mountain range in the world.) It was eye opening to see how much the US varies from state to state and what a diverse country it is. 

I didn't take many photos as I was in serious Diplomat mode (ha!) but I did snap these two to show just how different the buildings and landscape are from Chicago! Everything was so tiny and sweet!

We flew back from Louisville on Tuesday evening, Wednesday was spent in the office in Chicago and then off we went to Indiana come Thursday morning.

The exciting part about Indiana was that I had written the speech for the Deputy- Consul General's presentation. We managed to arrive an hour early because we had got the time difference wrong (not my fault, phew!) so had a little time to explore. Those of you who knew me in my childhood might remember my love for a certain film called The Wizard of Oz. Well, I was convinced I was in Kansas. Wooden houses painted all different colours, farms and barns... all I needed was to see Toto and I might have burst into a rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It was very funny and, once again, a completely different state with its own unique (unique-ish, very Kansas-esque) characteristics. 

The speech went really well, my work was done so I got to eat and watch(the event was a luncheon) while the Deputy Consul did his thing. A very enjoyable day in Kansas Indiana.

So... back to Chicago! Apart from an almighty storm at the weekend, the weather has been amazing. At the weekend I went with a couple of friends to the Bucktown Arts Festival. It was 33 degrees, there were kids selling lemonade outside their houses, and live country music blaring. Yep, definitely in America. We saw lots of lovely paintings by local artists and then sunbathed the afternoon away on the beach. Pretty great.

Besides the beaches, I have found a new favourite post-work hangout spot. Rooftop bars. These have just become trendy in LA and New York, but Chicago has had them forever. When the weather is nice, there is no better place to admire the views and soak up the sun. Most are fairly small, with seating for only 20-30 people, but that's the best part. Most people don't know about a lot of them so they feel kind of secret. I spent two evenings last week watching the sun set from a rooftop bar with a couple of colleagues. Pretty spectacular. I will have to track down pictures as they are on my friends phone. 

For now, here is how I spent my lunch break today. This is the beach behind the Consulate.

This coming weekend is bank holiday here in the US (they call it Labour Day) so I am looking forward to my 3 day weekend and will post an update following it! 

Week Three!

Where to start with week 3! It has been incredible. I have just returned from watching the Chicago Air and Water show at the Residence. The planes flew right past our windows, it was so exciting! We had spectacular views of the water too. Here are some pics! 

I wanted to start my review of the week by setting the scene to my daily commute to work. I live practically on Lake Michigan, which is connected to downtown by a road called Lakeshore Drive. As you can probably work out, this road runs right a long the lake. I get on a bus by the harbour at the end of my road, ride it for 10 minutes down Lakeshore Drive and get off on the 'Magnificent Mile', smack bang in the middle of downtown, where I work. Here is my commute in pictures! 

The Magnificent Mile is the road in Chicago with the tallest buildings, biggest shops and most electric atmosphere. The contrast from my serene lake view apartment is incredible and whichever area I am in at the time I maintain is my favourite part of Chicago. In reality, I love it all and the whole city is just wonderful.

Work has been great. Really, really great. I have been out and about quite a bit this week, with visits to the University of Chicago and UIC. I attended an event on international perspectives on climate change with our Vice Consul of Innovation and Economics, which was so interesting. I put together the power-point for her presentation there and even got to answer a question from the audience about the UK perspective on the debate. We got to meet people from the Japanese, Brazilian and Argentinian Consulates who were presenting there too, which was a lot of fun. 

In the office, I have been making calls ahead of an upcoming visit we have by a UK government official. Part of my role here is to co-ordinate visits by British UK government members to Chicago and arrange meetings for them with their US counterparts. When making these calls, I have found my accent to be an all round excellent ice breaker. If all else fails, they still want to know whether I know William and Kate personally, or congratulate me on the Olympics. 

Evenings have been jam-packed and fabulous. Tuesday night, a colleague and I jumped on the 'El' (Chicago's famous train) straight from work to Wrigleyville, where I caught my first Cubs game! Baseball is so popular in Chicago, and the Cubs are their one true love. They are an atrocious team who haven't won the world series in over 100 years. It doesn't seem to matter one bit. Their fans are some of the most loyal in the country, games are always packed and the atmosphere is one of fierce pride. I enjoyed the game so much! The Cubs lost 10-1, which meant I had experienced the true value of a Cubs game- it has nothing to do with the winning and everything to do with the tradition, patriotism and buzzing atmosphere. I had a ball. Pics...

Thursday evening I went with a few work colleagues on a 'tour' with the Chicago History Museum. Swap the word 'tour' for 'crawl' and you get the idea. We learned about Chicago's history in between making our way through some of its oldest pubs and bars. Mildly informative and a whole lot of fun. I didn't take my camera to work that day so I will leave the scenes to your imagination. Instead, here are a couple of pictures of 'the bean' at night. The bean is Chicago's architectural masterpiece, which I absolutely love. It reflects the city's skyline from 360 degrees and is really quite spectacular when you walk round and under it. 

Other notable activities from this week include going up the Willis Tower and attending an evening concert in Grant Park. The Willis Tower is the tallest in Chicago and was once the tallest in the World. On the top floor, glass boxes are suspended over the city. Grant Park, meanwhile, offers free concerts on Friday nights during the summer and we managed to get to one yesterday. We took a picnic rug and relaxed after a long week, it was really quite something. 

I am off to Kentucky tomorrow morning until Tuesday and then I am going to Indiana on Thursday... I will have much to report by next weekend I am sure! Love to all!

My Week in Pictures!

Ahead of week 3's blog post, which should be up tonight, here is a sneak peak at what I have been up to since Monday! More to come!

At the top of Chicago's tallest building, The Willis Tower

Downtown at night

Lake Michigan

My Walk to Work

Cubs Game

Spectacular View

The Bean

Boats at the end of my road

Concert in Grant Park

I am on my way out to watch Chicago's Air and Water show from a pretty incredible viewing spot. Over-due catch up blog on its way!

Week Two!

My task for next week is to take some photos! Chicago is just the most picturesque city and yet I have found, due to feeling like a local from pretty much day one, I have neglected my camera! For now, here is our beach soccer team and below that is the view from my bedroom... I really don't mind waking up to that view every morning!

Week two has been a blast. Having settled into my routine and met some fantastic people, this week has been full of lunch time/ after work/ evening socialising. Work has continued to be equally enjoyable and I have finally been able to spend some time in the 'Residence'. The Residence is where the Consul-General lives and where we host important visitors and events. On Monday night we hosted an event for the German Marshall Fund and I have to say, I have never seen such a spectacular apartment. Two sides of the building are entirely glass and offer panoramic views across downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. We hosted around 15 invited guests and it was a fantastic evening.

I finished up the brief and programme for Kentucky, which means we are all set for that trip in a weeks' time. We will be meeting some really interesting people during our few days there and I am excited to see another state. 

Before I arrived, my university put me in touch with two University of Birmingham alumni who are now living in Chicago. This week I managed to meet up with both of them and spend two wonderful evenings getting to know them. 

It was really inspiring to see what a strong alumni network the University of Birmingham keeps. It is testament to the experience they offer students that you can go practically anywhere in the world and find an abundance of people who can be there to support you and spend an evening reminiscing about their time there. The alumni network here in Chicago is pretty big and I hope to meet a few more of them next week at a concert in Grant Park.


Last night I went to a Cuban restaurant with some colleagues and then we went to an Irish Bar downtown. Weekends are really buzzing and I had a lot of fun. We saw Mo Farah's epic 5000m Gold whilst we were there and jumped up and down with excitement- what a guy!! This afternoon I am off to a BBQ competition on the beach- we don't get to compete, or judge... but hopefully we do get to eat! They have live music and I think it is a pretty big event for Chicagoans so I am very much looking forward to it. 

Next week is crazy busy, with evenings taken up by baseball games (go Cubs!), concerts and the odd diplomatic duty (ha!)I will, however, report back with more photos very soon! 

Week One!

As I approach the end of my first week here in the US, I can’t work out how long it feels since I arrived. In one sense, time is flying by as I knew it would. At the same time, I feel like I have been in Chicago forever… like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I have barely had 30 minutes to myself since I arrived, so I am taking today (Sunday) to update everyone on my incredible week one!


The first couple of days at the Consulate were filled with meetings, getting to know the other staff and generally settling in. As I sat at my desk on the 22nd floor overlooking the Magnificent Mile I definitely had to pinch myself a few times! The office is fantastic, greeted by British flags and a portrait of the queen, ridiculous views right across Chicago and the friendliest staff- could not be better! We even have the Olympics on silent all day on a big screen on the wall- the perks of being Team GB!


In terms of work, I was thrown right in the midst of the diplomatic duties from day one. The highlights of the week include lunch with the Australian and Canadian Consul Generals following a meeting at the Australian Consulate, attending an evening celebration for Swiss national day and, of course, representing Team GB at the beach soccer tournament (pic to follow!) 


I have also been given a great deal of individual responsibilities which have made my first week all the more special as I feel like I am really contributing already! Tasks have included writing the brief for our upcoming Kentucky trip, researching the importance of the swing states in the US presidential race for my first official report and writing the Deputy Consul's speech for our trip to Indiana. Talk about exciting, I am absolutely in my element!


Hours have been long, with jam-packed days along side evening duties. Everyone I have met has been so interesting and engaging that I do not mind at all! After all, I came here to gain insight into the workings of being a British Diplomat and I absolutely love what I see! However, it has certainly not been all work and no play. The weather is fantastic and Lake Michigan is surrounded by astoundingly beautiful beaches. Lunch times have been spent soaking up the sun in some of the most amazing little restaurants along the river, watching the boats drive past and socialising with my colleagues. 


Loads of exciting trips and visits coming up, I will attempt to update you all again in the week! Until then... I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the phenomenal Team GB performances at the Olympics! We are bursting with British pride over here! Here's to another week of GB domination! ;)