49/Blue Line

My new commute is a total of one hour and 14 minutes; I spent the last two weeks perfecting my route. First there's my walk to the 49 bus, just several blocks away. I've found that the most interesting way takes me past several restaurants and car shops, plus an exclusive night club called Latin Bliss. I'm actually not sure how exclusive it is, I just know the outside of it is mirrored and it's only open Friday and Saturday nights.

Then I ride the 49 down Western. If I go to work in the morning, I join other work-goers, mothers and babies, sometimes tourists. Usually, I ride in the early afternoon. Then my fellow bus riders are a mixed bag of Chicagoans and tourists, families, couples, or groups of kids. By now I've gotten familiar with most of the stops along the way, so I can read or listen to music and not worry that I'll miss my stop.

The last leg of my commute is the Blue Line, which I've been riding all year long since it's the closest/most convenient form of public transportation to Mercy Home. It's a little different riding it in from the north as opposed to setting out from the Racine stop like I'm used to. Now I ride the Blue Line into the Loop, then back out again. Because it runs straight from O' Hare, there are usually lots of tourists when I get on the train and I have to wait for them and all their luggage to get off closer to downtown before I can sit down.

Once I get to Racine, it's only a few blocks and I'm at work. I'm there for 7 or 8 or 10 hours, then I do the whole thing in reverse.