Ever since we moved from our much loved Chicago walk up to a nearby urban suburb, I’ve kept a couple of rituals that give me a little bit of alone time in the city.

This one in particular I really love and appreciate. About every month or so, I’ll take the earliest train from our house to downtown so I can get a few things done. It usually coincides with an appointment (haircut); but I also grab lunch and shop, or just wander around until one of the afternoon trains take me back home.

Once in a while, I’ve had a companion along (our daughters love the adventure and the train ride.) But mostly, I’m on my own. Here’s what it looks like…

…start here for a coffee right below the train station.

…take a longish walk along here or here.

…window shop and have a trip to the salon along this street.

…maybe grab a quick burger from here or steamed dumplings from here when I get hungry.

Then I head back to the station. First, though, I’ll stop back in at this market and pick up macarons to bring home, or a paper cone of fries (if my kids have tagged along).

It’s ironic. We moved to where we are now for more room to roam. But what I miss the most are the cramped spaces and crowded sidewalks. It’s nice to be able to have a little bit of both.