After months of counting down and unshakeable excitement for my big move to Chicago, a week of walking the city and fully immersing myself in a city I have dreamt to live in overwhelmed me in the best ways possible. On the first day as we set out for our initial walk of Lincoln Park, it was unfortunate that I was feeling tired and dehydrated. Despite this, walking these streets as a resident of the city, retiring the title of tourist, gave me a new sense of energy that I didn’t think I could find that day. Picking a direction and walking proved to be daunting, yet enticing as all I wanted to do was see every corner of the city with my own eyes.

I walked with my eyes glued to the outdoors, and my surroundings, which is something I never found myself doing in Brooklyn as I convinced myself I had seen everything there was to see. Walking around Lincoln Park gave me the sense of knowing absolutely nothing about the neighborhood, not even how to get back to the DePaul campus, but I had never felt more at home. I can’t say I wasn’t a little bit relieved to return to the Levan Center to drink water, but I left the first day of Discover with a newfound sense of appreciation for my surroundings, and the determination to know this city in more ways the one, and of course being able to find my way back to campus.

These feelings only perpetuated throughout the week, intensifying with each hour that passed and each neighborhood that was walked. Ascending to the top of the Hancock Center fulfilled my tourist heart, ecstatic to have the opportunity to gawk at the views of Lake Michigan

and the rest of the city. I felt very emotional, almost relieved to finally be here after so many obstacles, and seeing the city from the bird’s eye view provided me with a sense of power that is harder to come by these days. There were many times throughout the day where I felt tired and hungry, but even at my crankiest points, I couldn’t even stay annoyed for that long because at least I was feeling these things in Chicago. Everything not feeling perfect somehow made this place feel more like home. Weaving in between various neighborhoods with environments changing drastically so quickly made me draw many comparisons to neighborhoods in Brooklyn, trying to draw similarities. As the week continued, I found myself doing this less, attempting to view the city in a lens which wasn’t using all these characteristics from home.

Everyday, so many things stood out to me it was hard to pinpoint just one. Instead, many significant feelings stood out to me. I felt a unique feeling of satisfaction after sitting on the bus on the way home from Humboldt Park that shined through my exhaustion. I felt overwhelmed with emotions and gratefulness for the city in places like Pilsen where everything just felt a bit more real. My heart was full of happiness and appreciation for Chicago, especially at moments where we saw subway performers or friendly people eager to share their stories, like in West Garfield Park.

A forceful immersion in a consistent manner was exactly what I needed to feel more comfortable in Chicago, and to begin transitioning from life in New York. I feel as though I will carry memories and lessons I learned from this week that I will have with me throughout my journey in Chicago.