April 27, 2026—Kit and I just returned from Paris. We had a fabulous time. And when you have a fabulous time, you try to extend the experiences. We did many new things in Paris. What are the Chicago equivalents?

I think the answer is Costco.

Now, I don’t mean that you’ll find an Eiffel Tower or Arch de Triomphe at Costco. But you will baguettes (sold by the dozens).

Where Paris has bustling streets. Costco has bustling aisles. People here—and there—are checking out the merch and, if you need a snack, there are the samples and the hotdogs and the pizza. Paris has the cafes where you can get a pain au chocolat with a cup of coffee. In Costco, you can get a package of chocolate croissants.

Now, I don’t mean to degrade Chicago by the comparison. I came to live in Chicago because I love it. But it is different from Paris. And I love Paris, too.

These great cities are like two dissimilar children. You love them both, even though they are different.

Bustling arty streets are not Chicago’s forte, except in a few neighborhoods. And we go to those neighborhoods for the experience. It may be like that for Parisiennes in Paris, as well. We were tourists, so we kept to the cool parts of the city. We saw nothing of where people live and work and send their kids to school.

We’ll always have Paris. But we’ll always have Costco, too.

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