Before I left for school, when I would tell people that I was going to be going to college in the city I was always given warnings, rules, tips and tricks to help me protect myself for whatever “dangers” wait for me on the campus. The town I come from is very different from city life, or even the daily life in the suburbs of the city. Although I come from a town of 70,000 people, the small-town mentality runs deep throughout all towns in South Dakota. Even my parents were hesitant to let me come to school here, only doing so on the notion that for the most part I would be on campus on one of the safer sides of the city; I also had to promise that I would never go to the loop by myself, even if I was just simply going to class.
With that being said, when I heard about week 3 assignment, I could not help but to be extremely anxious about it. One of the biggest reasons why I choose to come to DePaul was so I could experience what it would like living in the city as a local, but truth be told I felt extremely uncomfortable with what was being asked. I had never spent anytime downtown or have gone anywhere than the intersection of Fullerton and North Lincoln. I knew that I could not do the first assignment, as getting lost in the city seems like one of my worst nightmares. I decided to do a version of the second assignment, where I would attach myself to some locals in the city to help myself not get lost, and acquainting myself with the city at the same time.
On Thursday, I had to take the L to the Loop Campus to pick up my U-Pass. The L was another source of anxiety for me as back home the only way to get around is in the safety of your own car. I have never taken the L by myself, and I also have never been the Loop Campus before that day. I was able to get on the red line by myself okay, and luckily discovered that you get off at the Jackson stop and not the State/Lake stop. On my way down there, I sat across from an older man wearing a leather suit, fedora, and sunglasses. He had a few shopping bags with him, and for the whole train ride ate ice cream directly out of a huge two-pint container, I thought that was very strange. Campus is right across from the subway, and I was able to get myself in the building without any troubles. When you first enter the Barnes and Noble building, it looks like a blank shopping mall. It reminded me of the story we read about the whole foods buying up a block in the city because the lobby was divided up with many frosted glass window rooms. I walked downstairs and found the e-sports room, but thought to myself “this does not look like any type of school to me.” I asked the security guard by the Barnes and Noble where to go, and he pointed me in the direction of the elevators, to the ninth floor where ID services are. At the same time, a boy who looked around my age dressed in a suite came into the elevator and pushed the button to the 11th floor dining hall. I feel as though going to school in the loop campus and the Lincoln Park campus are two very different experiences. The buttons on the elevator are all labeled, the Business School takes up about three floors. Looking back, I wish I had taken a picture of the buttons.
After I got my ID, I explored the levels of the business school for a minute. Since the school is in a high-rise building, the common rooms are a little intimidating because they are in the center of the building with no windows. I wanted to go into each department and look at what they’re like in there, but it felt like I was in some type of super high-class bank office and decided to stay in the common rooms for a bit. Getting my U-Pass did not take as long as I thought, so I wanted to explore the loop for a while. I have always enjoyed urban hiking, and I felt comfortable with walking around the area near the campus. I took a quick walk around the few blocks near by While I was walking, I would follow people during situations like crossing the street or when I did not know where to turn just so I could look like I knew what I was doing. Luckily for me, while following people I was able to find where the L stop is to get home and find a target. One time in particular, I crossed a street and was about to walk passed these two men who made me uncomfortable, but there was a large group of girls walking my same direction. I was able to camouflage into this group all the way to the train station.
The South-Dakotan in me decided to bravely venture down one block to the Starbucks that sits underneath the L track. When I was ordering, I noticed an older man sitting in the corner drinking straight out of a gallon of milk. He made me think of the other man I saw on the L and wondered what is it with old men and oversized products?
One thing about the city that I do not shy away from is the all the background noise. I love how you can hear so much commotion and loudness, but still have peace of anonymity in the city when you are by yourself. I love how loud the L can be, and how you can hear it from anywhere in the city, I think that the sound often grounds me and makes me re-appreciate the fact that I do go to school in such a big city with endless opportunity. For some time, I sat at the outdoor seating with the L, did some homework, read and people watched. Besides getting my U-Pass, my other goal was to find a target. I was also able to take short walk-through Jewelers Row, which I think is one of my favorite spots in the city. I tend to be drawn to things like Jeweler’s row and alleyways of the city just because I usually never see things like that where I am from. It is not a bad thing that the landscape I grew up in was heavily focused on natural beauty, I’ve just grown to see the industrial beauty of the city as something really special because of the absence of it in South Dakota.
By the end of the day, I felt like I accomplished a lot of things. I was able to find my way around downtown, I was able to get my U-Pass, and was starting to get a better understanding of the train system. Just from my brief afternoon in the small radius around the Loop Campus, I feel as though I am really getting my footing in the city and I look forward to whatever experiences that will follow.
To lose yourself is a very different feeling than getting lost in a secluded forest. When you are lost in a city, you have the same feelings of loneliness and confusion, but these feelings manifest in a very different way. When you are in a city, you are surrounded by people who do not look lost or look like they are walking to an important destination. When you feel lost, and are surrounded by people who are not, it is almost a feeling of being left out as opposed to when you are lost in a more secluded area the feeling you get is total abandonment. In some respects, losing yourself in a city is much more intimidating than being lost anywhere less, but it could be more of an adventure. Growing up on a ranch, my siblings and I would often get ourselves lost in the forest as an activity and it was often accompanied with a sense of serenity. If you get really lost in a forest, it is a safe bet that someone would notice; however, when you are in a city nobody would take notice. Maybe everyone is lost after all.
