@RedRaven42 welcome to the forum! I have never been to Chicago itself, I think I may have gone by it though, does that count? 
I am from Cape Cod, I did the same type of thing you did. I practiced with a friend, life happened including 3 children, they got older, I came back, & have been better for it. I joined in July of 2020.
I hope you’re finding your way around the site easy enough, if you have any questions feel free to ask. Someone will pop by to point you in the right direction or with an answer of some kind for you. Everyone here is very friendly & helpful. I can’t wait to get to know you a little bit more! Feel free to look around & jump in on any open topic or start your own! 