Earlier this week I was sent to Chicago for a two day government & not-for-profit training. I was excited because I had always wanted to visit Chicago. The day I arrived, a friend of mine at the firm, joined me for a little adventure. We jumped on the subway for what we believed would take us downtown. We were not quite sure when to get off. All we knew was that we both wanted some authentic Chicago style pizza. So when we got to the point where we thought downtown might be, we exited the subway.
To our astonishment, we were right in the heart of downtown.
After wandering aimlessly throughout downtown we finally found a local who could direct us to a really good pizza place. It was the original Pizzeria Uno.
After about an hour and a half after getting off of the subway, we finally found a good pizza place. When we got there they sat us outside along the street, which was really cool because we were able to see all the big city hustle and bustle.
Finally, the pizza arrived and we were blown away. It was delicious and filled me up (which is pretty hard to do with a stomach capacity as large as mine).
By the time our meal was over it was about 9:30pm and we knew we had to find a subway station that could take us back to our hotel. After about a 20 minute walk we finally found the right subway station. On the way back to the hotel, the train stopped for about 15 minutes to let another train pass by. By the time we got back to the hotel it was about 11:00pm. For the next two days I was in a classroom learning from the top Governmental and Not-For-Profit Partner in the entire firm. On Wednesday I flew home and arrived at about 11pm. I was so happy to see my family pick me up at the airport. One of my favorite things is to reunite with those that I love after a trip away from home.
Upon arrival, we drove a couple of hours to Fribourg, where we stayed for the next couple of weeks. 
When Monday arrived, we hit the ground running. We were trying to be as productive as possible so that we could have enough time to dedicate Saturday as our fun day. After the first couple of days of working long hours, and the adjustment from jet lag, my body was drained. On Wednesday at about 6pm I was fading. So, I did something that I never thought I would do; I downed a 5-Hour Energy Drink. I think the name is a little modest. I would rename it to 11-hour energy because I was working until 5am the next morning. I then only had 1-hour of sleep that night and was still productive the next day. Crazy stuff. Maybe my lack of caffeinated drink consumption contributed to its potency.
So, Saturday arrived and we were excited to finally see the sights.
First, we travelled to Chillon Castle, nestled between a tall mountainside and Geneva Lake.
It was a beautiful sight. The size of the castle was also impressive. It took us about 3 hours to see it all.
Next, we decided to drive to Geneva, the home of the historical protestant reformer, John Calvin. It was such a magnificent city. One of the most beautiful I had ever seen. While we were there we visited St. Pierre Cathedral, where John Calvin preached and where the League of Nations was formed. We also went to the International Museum of the Reformation. On the way out of town we drove by the old United Nations Building. We also decided to cross the border into France, just so that we could say that we did.
We then had a busy week and were able to accomplish what had to be done. The last day we were in Switzerland we drove to Zurich, where our flight would be leaving from the next day. We checked into our hotel (the Marriot) and our rooms were insane. My friend, who booked the rooms, was a Marriott Club Member, so they gave him a good deal and even upgraded his room for free. His room was a corner unit, multiple room suite, with two flat screen TVs, a view of the river running through downtown Zurich, flower pedals on his bed, and a complimentary $200 bottle of champaign. It was crazy!
That night we walked around Zurick, went out to dinner, and looked for gifts for our wives. It is easy to say that Zurich is the neatest city I have ever been in. The buildings were ancient. Off of the main roads were mazes of small alleys. These acted like a large mall with more shops than you could visit. The next morning we were on our flight back to the US, where our families and a couple of months of work were waiting for us. The rest of the engagements that took up the rest of busy season were interesting. A technology manufacturer, a golf course, a clothing line, a furniture manufacturer and a high-end wheel manufacturer took up my entire busy season. After it was all said and done, I look back, and can say that what I learned was invaluable and I was able to grow as a professional. 
