The stranger and the orange sky
For this weeks’ assignment, I decided to get lost. I must admit I was somewhat hesitant at first. I wasn’t planning on getting lost in a city I have only known for a month or so, and completely alone. Nevertheless, some people say that the best things come when we do not force them. My gut feeling was telling me I was going to see or find something interesting if I did. Hence, I put on my AirPods and went out while listening to Jennie Savage’s directions in “Guide to Getting Lost.”
It is interesting seeing how someone gets lost so confidently and even makes a podcast out of it. Her calmness during the situation gave me some sort of reassurance and helped me walk firmly.
I started in the afternoon, around 6, near where I live on campus, on Sheffield avenue. This place has always been of my liking. There are lots of people walking by, most of them are students. Sometimes I get to run into classmates and chat for a bit. Lincoln Park is one of my favorites places in Chicago. The trees, the way the neighborhood looks, the schools, and the little kids near. It reminds me a lot of my hometown.
While I was walking I did notice a pretty small beige motorcycle. I took a picture because I thought it is a somewhat unusual color for a bike and thought looked pretty nice. I sent the picture to my Godfather who is a bike enthusiast. He liked it as well. I also remember seeing a weird statue in front of someone’s house. It looked like a 3D model of a little kid’s drawing. An abstract yellow horse. What a unique place Lincoln Park is.
As I kept going, I noticed how I started leaving Lincoln Park behind and wider streets and shorter buildings started surrounding me. The streets were quite busy at this time, even though it was a Saturday afternoon. I did wonder where all the people were going and why some of them were walking pretty quickly. Was there an event, fair or famous restaurant near that I did not know about? I wish I had found out. Despite not knowing the place, it was attractive. The sun was slowly setting, gradually painting the sky orange. The weather was perfect. I wanted to freeze the moment and stay like that forever. It felt peaceful.
Something I found interesting, is seeing a movie theater. It was the first one I have seen ever since I’ve arrived in Chicago. It had lights around its big sign and, black, bold letters announcing tonight’s show. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my glasses and the picture I took did not capture the name of the movie. I got so intrigued for a minute that I stopped listening to the audio for a bit. I will visit it as soon as I have the chance.
I kept wondering and eventually arrived at a bridge over a river. At that moment, I could only hear the cars passing by, which were just a few. The atmosphere was soothing. After crossing it, the ambiance kept getting quieter. I wondered why.
I was about to cross the street when I paid more attention to the sky. It looked gorgeous. Something I love about Chicago is that sunsets are much more common. Every other day, the sky turns into a nice shade of orange. I couldn’t resist, so I pulled out the camera. I heard a voice behind me which startled me quite a bit. It was a woman who was also taking a picture of the sunset. She told me she was sorry, and that it wasn’t her intention to scare me, but the sky was so pretty that it deserved a picture. I agreed and laughed. We did some small talk until I had to leave again and told me to have a nice day. Maybe that was what my gut feeling was predicting. I hope she had a nice day too.
I finally stopped at a Chick-Fil-A. I called it a day since I didn’t want to walk back in the dark. To find the way, I asked someone inside the store where the Fullerton Station was. They gave me some general instructions. This was the moment I was skeptical about. Finding my way back. I wanted to use the GPS on my phone in case I get even more lost but decided to keep walking and ask strangers the directions to get to the Fullerton Train Station. In the end, it worked. I patted myself on the shoulder and went back home, feeling proud.
In “Paris, or Botanzing the Asphalt,” Rebecca Solnit quotes Walter Benjamin who writes, “But to lose oneself in a city — as one loses oneself in a forest — that calls for a quite a different schooling” (p. 255). What is the meaning of “losing oneself in the city?” Have you ever lost yourself in this sense? If so, describe your experience. What do you remember?
A city is a place where too much happens at the same time. Every person leaves a different story or trail whenever they walk through it, and so it happens that thousands of people do it, every day, every year. It can sound scary. Getting lost in Chicago. Not many are looking forward that.
Is it possible to get lost in a place which has its sectors labeled, distributed, and organized in neighborhoods, districts, and areas? Can I get truly lost somewhere the GPS can find me? The truth is, there is a difference in getting lost in a city and losing oneself in a city. The second one has a more emotional and psychological meaning. We are looking to get lost. Let our feet wander around and get to know shortcuts, new spots, people, etc. It is about discovering oneself through the city.
I got lost for the first time willingly. Found beauty in the sky and someone with a similar opinion about orange skies. I am getting better at recognizing where the north, south, east, and west is. Whenever I explore new locations in Chicago, I discover new things in me as well.
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