Enjoying last few days of the serene SAIC gardens during my lunch walk, before they close them for the season and won’t re-open until April or May. Slow drizzle and heavy clouds moved in as I walked about trying to decompress, de-stress and re-charge my inner batteries.

What a paradox: a serene garden right next to one of the busiest streets in Chicago, yet none of that matters when you want to (and look hard) go and visit even the tiniest sliver of nature. It can do wonders to your mind and all the craziness fades away. At least until your next conference call…