Now that I spend the bulk of my time in downtown Chicago I find myself falling in love with the city all over again. This relationship between the city and me started more than a decade ago, when I first spent time here, escaping from my hometown of Marshall, Minn.
I spent a summer month with family in the Chicago suburbs during my junior high years. It was amazing. I went to museums, spent time with my cousins, attended a play at the Goodman Theatre, visited Six Flags Great America and (thanks to my cousin Kristen) overcame my fear of rollercoasters. Over the span of that trip I started to develop a crush on the city of Chicago. I decided then I would someday live in this great city.
In high school, I decided I wanted to be a television news reporter and discovered that the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University ranked very high on the list of best journalism schools in the country. I visited the campus during the winter of my junior year of high school and knew without a doubt that I had found my university. One of the big factors that played into that decision was NU’s proximity to Chicago.
Later that year, I was fortunate enough to attend prom in the city. The night ended with a cruise on Lake Michigan on the Odyssey, gazing at the stars and the beautiful night skyline. That’s when I knew I had fallen head over heels in love with this city. I would return one day as a Chicagoan.
After graduation, my life took me away from the Windy City to the windy prairie and I thought I lost my connection to the city. But I only needed to stroll down Michigan Avenue to know that the connection was not only still there, but stronger than ever.
I’m so grateful to be back here again and really savor each moment. I love taking the Metra into the city every morning, I love watching the buildings grow closer together and taller as the train creeps towards the city. I love walking from the station to the Merchandise Mart each day, even in the cold and the rain. I appreciate the sights, the sounds and even the smells of the city. I watch people rush by me and I think, “I’m so lucky that I know to appreciate this beauty and this energy that surrounds us.”
Each day I walk past some pretty amazing sights: Millennium Park, the Theatre District, the Chicago River, Michigan Avenue bridge, the Tribune tower, the Trump tower, City Hall and sometimes Macy’s on State (formally Marshall Field’s). I like to take different routes to and from work each day to see what else is out there. I can’t wait to take some time one weekend to visit the parks, the museums and the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Chicago and I have quite the history together and because of that connection I feel at home. I hope the city becomes my permanent home very soon!
I spent a summer month with family in the Chicago suburbs during my junior high years. It was amazing. I went to museums, spent time with my cousins, attended a play at the Goodman Theatre, visited Six Flags Great America and (thanks to my cousin Kristen) overcame my fear of rollercoasters. Over the span of that trip I started to develop a crush on the city of Chicago. I decided then I would someday live in this great city.
In high school, I decided I wanted to be a television news reporter and discovered that the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University ranked very high on the list of best journalism schools in the country. I visited the campus during the winter of my junior year of high school and knew without a doubt that I had found my university. One of the big factors that played into that decision was NU’s proximity to Chicago.
Later that year, I was fortunate enough to attend prom in the city. The night ended with a cruise on Lake Michigan on the Odyssey, gazing at the stars and the beautiful night skyline. That’s when I knew I had fallen head over heels in love with this city. I would return one day as a Chicagoan.
After graduation, my life took me away from the Windy City to the windy prairie and I thought I lost my connection to the city. But I only needed to stroll down Michigan Avenue to know that the connection was not only still there, but stronger than ever.
I’m so grateful to be back here again and really savor each moment. I love taking the Metra into the city every morning, I love watching the buildings grow closer together and taller as the train creeps towards the city. I love walking from the station to the Merchandise Mart each day, even in the cold and the rain. I appreciate the sights, the sounds and even the smells of the city. I watch people rush by me and I think, “I’m so lucky that I know to appreciate this beauty and this energy that surrounds us.”
Each day I walk past some pretty amazing sights: Millennium Park, the Theatre District, the Chicago River, Michigan Avenue bridge, the Tribune tower, the Trump tower, City Hall and sometimes Macy’s on State (formally Marshall Field’s). I like to take different routes to and from work each day to see what else is out there. I can’t wait to take some time one weekend to visit the parks, the museums and the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Chicago and I have quite the history together and because of that connection I feel at home. I hope the city becomes my permanent home very soon!
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