Today we traveled into Chicago for a day of document authentications required from both the State of Illinois and the Costa Rica Consulate prior to our leaving for Costa Rica.

As it turns out the Illinois Secretary of State's Department of Index and the Costa Rica Consulate's office were equidistant from Macy's (fka: Marshall Field's) on Chicago's famous State Street.

Macy's State and Washington Street exit was steps away from the Illinois Secretary of State's Index office while on the opposite side of the store the Macy's Randolph and Wabash Street exit provided a view of the Costa Rica Consulate's location. So we did a little Christmas shopping at one of the most famous department stores in the world, ate some lunch and got our documents in order.

We were about 30 minutes early for our 12:00 noon appointment at the Costa Rica Consulate, but the Consulate staff immediately took our documents and prepared them for consularization/authentication. After a short wait, Consul General de Costa Rica Anelena Soley Loria stepped out and kindly introduced herself to myself and Junior.

Costa Rica Consul General Loria advised that she had already signed our documents and that the papers where being finalized. She explained to Junior some of the duties that the Consul General performs and generously offered her continued assistance should we need anything further during or after our move to Costa Rica.

I suggested to Junior that after he finishes school he might be able to represent Costa Rica back here in Chicago like Consul General Loria … Junior said he would rather be a "fisherman" - so we have that going for us