I’m back! Again! I logged into my WordPress account to write this post and Safari didn’t recognize and autofill the domain! If I have one really great trait, it’s reliability.
Most people are just starting their summer internships, but because my summer is weird and I don’t take time off, I’m halfway done with mine. Last Friday was the official halfway point, and I wanted to share my initial observations/impressions with you. I have been to Chicago before, but I have never lived in a big city before. I totally love love love the city, but some things are a little different.
The Good:
I love not having to drive. I am not a good driver and having to drive is stressful for me. Driving is like playing a team sport, another thing I excel at, but if you miss the catch it costs you five thousand dollars. I live basically on top of an L station (so if you’re counting, I’ve gone two for two on living near trains in 2017). It’s great.
Eating has been excellent. While I love the southern food pyramid– mayonnaise, chicken fingers, cheese-based dips– I have eaten some really awesome, probably lower calorie, stuff in Chicago. There’s pizza, of course, and a lobster roll I fantasize about daily. I’ve eaten a lot of tacos and Indian food, and once an Indian-inspired taco, which was delicious. I love eating out all the time and my bank account totally hates me for it.
Big Macy’s. This is Chicago-specific and probably wouldn’t make most people’s list, but there is a nine-story Macy’s that has become my happy place. I don’t even shop at Macy’s regularly at home, but I have formed a connection with this particular one. Every time I enter, it’s one of the several underrated shopping scenes in Legally Blonde. When I meditate, I transcend to Third Floor, Women’s Contemporary.
The Bad:
While the food has been generally delectable, I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap from a place called Protein Bar that was 85% quinoa. I should have known not to trust them with something as precious and pure as buffalo chicken, but I assumed by the roughly one thousand locations of Protein Bar that it would be okay. Wrong.
I took one of my signature Netflix/wine bubble baths (pretend I invented this), actual green-black dirt came out of my skin? From the smog? I have never experienced having to shower because of incidental dirt. All of my dirt is usually intentional and realized. This was super alarming and my recreational bubble bath rate has dropped from almost five/week to nearly never.
The Weird:
There are a lot of revolving doors in this city, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. I mean very literally, whenever there was an option for a normal door, they essentially chose a carousel. Revolving doors are the location of small humiliations. It is embarrassing when you have to use both arms to push them, because they are heavy. If you struggle at all with depth perception, it can be awkward as you accidentally get in the same pod as someone else or you get hit with the door. Great design is functional for the least competent person, and I would like to set up a meeting with the designer of revolving doors because I am that person.
I’ll let you know what I think about Chicago at the end of the summer. I’m so reliable so you know that will happen.
xo,
Megan
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