The AAO annual meeting is rarely attended by first-year faculty, as junior recruits usually cover call. Thanks to my fellows, however, I was glad to make it to Chicago this year. I flew in Thursday night, and ran into my retina friend Larry on the subway. It turned out we were staying at the same place, so we grabbed late night grub in Chinatown before walking through the shady South Side neighborhood to our hotel. On Friday, after a morning of subspecialty day talks, I joined my cousin Paula for lunch at Blackbird, where the impressive bouillabaisse was deserving of Paul Kahan’s James Beard award and the restaurant’s Michelin star. In the evening, I updated the Michels Foundation members on my progress at work, then joined Special K at the DJ booth at Nikki for the Cornea Society party. On Saturday, Francisco and I waited for a lunch table at the Purple Pig, and was rewarded with yummy pig’s ear with crispy kale & fried egg, tender milk-braised pork shoulder on mashed potatoes, and an incredible octopus with green beans & salsa verde. With my stomach full, I made my way down Michigan Ave to check out architectural sights that were open for the Open House Chicago event. The drizzle did not stop the lines from forming at the Tribune Tower and Jeweler’s Building. I decided to forgo the hour-long wait, and instead checked out the stage view from the Prizker Pavilion and the impressive ceiling at the Chicago Cultural Center. In the evening, I caught up with colleagues at the Duke and MEEI receptions before calling it a night. I woke up next morning to present at an OCT course, then met Lucy for Acadia’s famed burger. I spent the afternoon resuming my architectural tour, checking out a vacant floor in the Inland Steel Building, the council chambers at City Hall, and the Sky Chapel atop the Chicago Temple Building. After a quick nap, I joined my UCD colleagues for our department reception, then headed to the YO party for another night of debauchery. Exhausted, I barely made it to my poster presentation Monday morning, although I had several productive meetings with industry reps. Before catching my flight home, I grabbed a prime rib sandwich and hazelnut gelato from Eataly for the road. I made it back in time to meet up with wife’s friends for Korean BBQ, but it hardly compared with my culinary tour of the Windy City.