I’m finishing week five as a resident of Chicago (aka Chi-Town aka the Windy City aka the Second City.) It’s been something of a whirlwind month – I promised myself I’d post more upon settling here, and obviously I’ve not had the time to do that yet – and I now find time for reflection on my great adventure to the third-biggest city in the U.S.
Let’s start with the set-up. Here I am, small-town boy born and raised in South Detroit (wait, that’s something else…) Ok so I’m born and raised in small-town Appalachia. Never left home for more than a few weeks at a time in the course of 21 years. Preparing to graduate college with the intense desire to finally get out and find somewhere new (not because I hate home, but simply because I want to see/know more of the world.) Land a paid summer internship in Chicago that has nothing to do with what I want to do in life, but alas, it’s paid. Ship off all starry-eyed and alone to the ‘big city’ so’s I can ‘make it.’
Ok, so maybe I’m sounding cynical. It’s probably because I don’t want to over-hype this adventure; so I’m living in Chicago for the summer, big deal. Making it up to be some huge thing – which most people do – makes it sound like they never thought I could have made it here in the first place.
I’m a country boy. How could I ever survive in this setting?
Yes, I am being too cynical. I concede, it’s a big deal that I’m here, and whenever people sound all excited about it, I get pretty excited too. I’m just trying to neutralize it, because I’m not some poor country boy who didn’t have a hope in the world. I’m accustomed to cities. I trusted I’d make it just fine.
Still, Chicago is a whole new level than Athens. And I'm learning to adapt.
I've had a lot of adventures here since arriving last month. Katie visited for a few days early on, and we hit up a nice restaraunt ($75 for two entrees, an appetizer and a tip), went to the top of the Hancock, walked around Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park (Wrigleyville for end of Cubs-Sox game = whoa), discovered a great park in my borrowed-home suburb of Schaumburg, and took a bunch of pictures with my mom's old camera (view pictures here.) It was so great to explore the city together.
But of course, it's still Chicago.
The first night in town, Katie and I walked about ten blocks from the restaraunt to my car at 10 p.m. You think you know a place, and then darkness falls. It was not a fun walk - neither of us felt safe. Scary stuff - so we learned not to spend too much time in the city at night.
Then there are the prices. As with the nice restaurant we went to, everything here costs a TON of money. Gas, food, you name it.
And the traffic. Bumper to bumper, hour-long-trip when it's normally 20 minutes. A lesson in patience.
Katie and I learned all of these bad aspects of Chicago together. I have to admit, before I came here, she and I both had pretty grandeur visions of what Chicago would be. So this other stuff caught us off guard and left something of a sour taste in our mouths.
Of course, we should have expected it. This is Chicago.
I've had other adventures since that first week, when Katie came. Sister Kristi and bro-in-law Lee came, we took the train in, walked around, played tourist for a day. Another time, met up with friends downtown one evening and walked around Taste of Chicago, a huge food festival in Grant Park. I've also driven around the 'burbs, checked out the sites (malls, parks, etc.)
It's fun to see the city. It's fun to discover all these new things. Yet something about Chicago just hasn't screamed 'home' to me. Try as I might to settle in here, I just can't seem to do it.
Guess I'm too much of a country boy.
I'll post more about thoughts, experiences, and music(!) since coming here in a series of posts...
Let’s start with the set-up. Here I am, small-town boy born and raised in South Detroit (wait, that’s something else…) Ok so I’m born and raised in small-town Appalachia. Never left home for more than a few weeks at a time in the course of 21 years. Preparing to graduate college with the intense desire to finally get out and find somewhere new (not because I hate home, but simply because I want to see/know more of the world.) Land a paid summer internship in Chicago that has nothing to do with what I want to do in life, but alas, it’s paid. Ship off all starry-eyed and alone to the ‘big city’ so’s I can ‘make it.’
Ok, so maybe I’m sounding cynical. It’s probably because I don’t want to over-hype this adventure; so I’m living in Chicago for the summer, big deal. Making it up to be some huge thing – which most people do – makes it sound like they never thought I could have made it here in the first place.
I’m a country boy. How could I ever survive in this setting?
Yes, I am being too cynical. I concede, it’s a big deal that I’m here, and whenever people sound all excited about it, I get pretty excited too. I’m just trying to neutralize it, because I’m not some poor country boy who didn’t have a hope in the world. I’m accustomed to cities. I trusted I’d make it just fine.
Still, Chicago is a whole new level than Athens. And I'm learning to adapt.
I've had a lot of adventures here since arriving last month. Katie visited for a few days early on, and we hit up a nice restaraunt ($75 for two entrees, an appetizer and a tip), went to the top of the Hancock, walked around Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park (Wrigleyville for end of Cubs-Sox game = whoa), discovered a great park in my borrowed-home suburb of Schaumburg, and took a bunch of pictures with my mom's old camera (view pictures here.) It was so great to explore the city together.
But of course, it's still Chicago.
The first night in town, Katie and I walked about ten blocks from the restaraunt to my car at 10 p.m. You think you know a place, and then darkness falls. It was not a fun walk - neither of us felt safe. Scary stuff - so we learned not to spend too much time in the city at night.
Then there are the prices. As with the nice restaurant we went to, everything here costs a TON of money. Gas, food, you name it.
And the traffic. Bumper to bumper, hour-long-trip when it's normally 20 minutes. A lesson in patience.
Katie and I learned all of these bad aspects of Chicago together. I have to admit, before I came here, she and I both had pretty grandeur visions of what Chicago would be. So this other stuff caught us off guard and left something of a sour taste in our mouths.
Of course, we should have expected it. This is Chicago.
I've had other adventures since that first week, when Katie came. Sister Kristi and bro-in-law Lee came, we took the train in, walked around, played tourist for a day. Another time, met up with friends downtown one evening and walked around Taste of Chicago, a huge food festival in Grant Park. I've also driven around the 'burbs, checked out the sites (malls, parks, etc.)
It's fun to see the city. It's fun to discover all these new things. Yet something about Chicago just hasn't screamed 'home' to me. Try as I might to settle in here, I just can't seem to do it.
Guess I'm too much of a country boy.
I'll post more about thoughts, experiences, and music(!) since coming here in a series of posts...
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