An immersive week in Chicago
In the beginning, I used to see walking as a method of transportation only. Walking from one place to another to do something, to complete a task, to see someone, etc. I would rarely stop to see my surroundings, like if I was disconnected from the city even though I was standing in it. I used to walk the city like following the directions of a GPS, obeying instructions, turning on certain corners, crossing the street, and so on, not paying attention or stopping to even think about how the city I am walking through ended up looking the way it does now.
Immersion week was a wake-up call for questioning myself, research the places I frequent and the ones I would like to visit someday, the influences and masterminds behind the buildings, parks, skyscrapers, etc. I stopped looking at the city the same way I would look at a map. I look at it now like a giant book with thousands of stories and testimonies waiting to be read and told. I have learned how to dig deeper and truly get to know a city, and that is by walking it. It is probably the best way to become acquainted with it.
During Immersion Week, I started focusing less on the destination and more on the journey. I began looking for distractions and what was around me. It should be emphasized, that certain spots caught my attention and deserve a special mention because of how interesting they were.
One of them was the Wooden Alley. At first, I did not think there could be something interesting about an alley. Ever since I settled in Chicago, I have been trying to avoid them since they can be quite scary looking. In addition, what kind of remarkable story could an alley possess? After visiting the Wooden Alley that connects Astor and State street, my opinion changed. I discovered that it held a piece of the past that could only be seen if I walked through it. The floor was wood, which at the beginning looked like stone. It was built after the Great Chicago Fire.
It made me question how life was back then and made me imagine the entire city with streets made out of wood. Images flew over my head and created possible scenarios of the past. I remember a small sign near the entrance, which contained some highlights about the alley. This small section deserves to be talked about a lot more.
As of now, I am no longer scared of alleys. Every time I walk through one, I find myself looking for clues that might lead me to the alley’s untold story.
The other location I enjoyed was Pilsen. A neighborhood with Mexican roots and influences. The most memorable part of this trip was the murals of the locality.
At first glance, it was nice to look at. They were colorful and full of life, like the murals in actual Mexico. Subsequently, we learned what they represented, their authors and, the techniques used to paint them. They had a specific message, sometimes personal, cultural, or political. The wall was their canvas for painting their thoughts and feelings. It was for them to paint what they wanted to communicate.
At the same time, it portrayed authentic Mexican culture. I realized that it was not only the people living there who made Pilsen a Mexican American neighborhood. It was everything. The buildings with painted stories, the restaurants offering appetizing meals, the Spanish chatter the locals were having, and so on.
The murals extended all the way to the train station, decorating the stairs and cars. I thought it was a nice touch and an exceptional experience, considering that I spent some minutes walking back looking for a taco stand.
The diversity and inclusion Chicago possesses are reflected in its approximately more than 200 neighborhoods. It is a melting pot of races, ethnicities and, cultures. It would take a lifetime to get to know each of them the same way I have learned to look into a place considering that now I know how to truly admire it. At the same time, it is worth a try.
