Fun Walk By The Lake
Walking Journal
On the night of September 14th, I went on a walk around East Lake Shore Drive. I was meeting up with some friends there later, so I decided to go alone about 20 minutes earlier. As I was walking, I noticed there were a lot of joggers and bikers on the lake shore trail. I remember looking up at all the tall buildings in awe. One building in particular caught my attention. It was a hotel with a huge neon pink sign that read “The Drake”. The neon sign stood out to me because it reminded me of how fortunate we are to have such a wealth of quality buildings in traditional styles.
One experience I had was walking along the beach. The time was about 8:00 PM and it was very relaxing for me, no annoying kids or loud street noise. It was just the sound of the waves splashing onto the sand. Feeling the breeze blowing onto my skin felt refreshing as well. It smelled like my childhood, and everything it encompasses. The streetlights were also very bright; they lit up the entire beach, although I kind of enjoyed it because it made it easier to see.
Another experience I had was walking along the Lakefront trail. It was around 8:15; the waves were quiet and gentle. The night sky had patches of clouds, so I was still able to see some stars. In the distance I saw Navy Pier and the Ferris wheel lit up in a rich magenta. Runners and bikers passed by as I gazed up at my surroundings. An object I unfortunately collected was all the sand stuck in my shoes. It got in my shoes within seconds of stepping on the beach. I could feel the graininess of sand through my socks and in between my toes. Another object I collected was Ice Cream. Before walking to the beach, I stopped by a café called “Whispers” located on E Bellevue Pl. The ice cream was delicious; I got a scoop of cookies and cream. It had a cold creamy white texture with chunks of Oreo bits. Despite my stomach aching afterwards, eating that frozen goodness was definitely worth it.
Reading Journal
After living and walking in Chicago for about 3 weeks now, I have experienced the anonymity, variety, and conjunction of the city while walking many times. One way I have experienced anonymity in Chicago is when I walk late at night. The city is very peaceful and quiet. The city at night has this atmosphere that feels very strange and distant, yet it still feels very home-like. I have also seen a lot of variety while walking in Chicago. There is pretty much any restaurant you can imagine in the city. Around the loop, it doesn’t seem like there is a lot of unique, classic Chicago food. After walking around in the city, I have learned that neighborhoods like Logan Square, Lincoln Park, and of course Pilsen have more variety in their food. Conjunction is another thing I have seen during my walks through the city. Most of the houses in Chicago are conjoined together or adjacent to each other. To me neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Gold Coast have the most homes squeezed alongside one another. (177)
