The Meaning of Immersion Week
Back at home, whenever I was bored, I would go to Pike Place Market. The hustle and bustle of the vendors combined with the endless stream of tourists made for great people watching, and no matter how many times I went, I always noticed something new: a bit of graffiti, a different kind of vegetable being hawked by the corner market, a favorite busker singing a new song… The novelty within the familiarity made every visit that much more exciting.
Disover Week allowed me to experience that feeling on a much larger scale. From panoramic views to cracks in the pavement, everything was new.
A blurry view of some marigolds growing out of a corner in Uptown, taken just after we walked out of a school covered in art designed by students. There were fragments of mirrors used as tiles along with multicolored ceramic, and it looked like a living kaleidoscope whenever people walked by. The themes were all centered around minority empowerment and activism. The political grandeur of the murals was inspiring, but so was the quiet, colorful resilience of the flowers at my feet.
The first walk we went on was a trek through Lincoln Park featuring a grueling stretch of industrial complexes bordering the river. This cloud greeted us on our way back, as if to remind us that life is not always the grey of asphalt, the rigidity of right angles, or the feeling of sore feet. Sometimes it is the sparkling light on the edge of the cloud. When the rain came sprinkling down halfway to Levan, I welcomed it.
I hear the whispering of waves in Loyola Park, and see a red flag waving in the lakeshore breeze. Stratocumulus clouds are lined up overhead.
Wendy got emotional when telling us about her experiences at the end of that little jetty. Looking around, seeing the skyline in the distance, the grasslands on one side, and the endless expanse of the lake around me, I could understand why. But I got a strong impression of that being Wendy’s Place. I feel like we all have little pockets of public areas that we claim as “ours.” For me, it’s Pike Place, and for Wendy, it’s this windswept walkway.
To be honest, I still feel like a stranger here. But I’m in for the long haul, so it is inevitable that I will find “my place” in this city- and this week kickstarted my search. From the sprawling views at the top of the John Hancock tower to glimpses of dark alleyways in Lincoln Park, learning the sheer scale of this place has been intimidating. I hate walking around and not knowing where I am. Being constantly lost is terrifying, so I’m glad that immersion week has allowed me to explore in a safe environment with like-minded people.
