Friday, September 24
12:50 pm- I leave Munroe Hall and head toward the Fullerton train station.
1:00 pm- I arrive at the train station and wait for the red line train headed towards 95th/Dan Ryan. I feel slightly anxious since this is my first solo train ride. I use positive thoughts to calm my body and remain aware of my surroundings.
1:04 pm- I board the train.
1:05 pm- A man from Minnesota approaches me to buy his mixtape. I unfortunately declined because although I was curious, I do not have anywhere to play said CD.
1:17 pm- I get off at the Chicago stop and feel a sense of relief since I just successfully completed my first time being alone on the train.
1:18 pm- I exit the train station and head towards the John Hancock Center to truly begin my walk.
1:22 pm- I pass the Historic Water Tower.
One building that I’ve always found interesting is the Historic Water Tower, a building on Michigan avenue that I passed every time I went to the city as a child. A few years ago, I got the opportunity to go inside this building and learn more about Chicago’s history. There were many plaques and artifacts that shared information about The Great Chicago Fire. From the article I found on the official Chicago website, this building is now a place where Chicago photographers can display their work. Unfortunately, the website said that they are now currently closed. Hopefully, they will be reopening soon, because I plan on visiting this landmark in the future.
1:24 I peer into the window of the American Girl Doll Store, my favorite store as a child, hoping to stop in to send a picture of my family. Unfortunately, they were closed, but as I looked through the window, a rush of nostalgia from my childhood came over me. I remembered going there for my 6th birthday when my aunt bought me my first doll since I was finally ‘old enough.’ Or the time I went there for my best friend’s birthday party and ate at the American Girl Doll Cafe. Lastly, I laughed at remembering the time when my sister accidentally abandoned her doll in one of the displays.
1:25 pm I left the AG store and headed South on Michigan Ave. Even though it was early in the day, the streets were insanely crowded. I felt flustered as I was trying to take pictures and use google maps while navigating walking in the city. Despite my face showing distress, I felt like no one on that street knew or cared. This feeling reminded me of the repeated phrase in Turnbull’s “Handheld Time Machines,” they disregarded me (Turnbull). For Turnbull, it was the men he photographed or the attractive woman he made eye contact with, and for me it was the man handing out flyers yet skips me or the man who almost walked right through me as if I was a ghost. When reading, I could imagine how he must have felt being disregarded in this way; however I finally understood when I experienced something similar on this walk.
1:40 pm I made it past the big crowds and the stores of Michigan Avenue and felt like my walk had truly begun. This reminded me of the passage from “Paris or Botanizing on the Asphalt,” where Walter Benjamin describes “losing oneself within a city” (Solnit 255). The portion of my walk prior had been a moment where I was merely “finding my way in a city” which “requires ignorance-nothing more” (Solnit 255). However, once I reached this point in my walk where there were less people, breathtaking buildings, and a view of the river, I understood why Benjamin compares being lost in a city with becoming lost within a forest. The calming state of mind I entered and how peaceful it was compared to my prior anxious mindset had boosted the enjoyment of the walk and reminded me of the significance of walking.
1:43 pm- I approach this amazing view of the river. Despite seeing this almost a million times before in person or online, moments like this never fail to remind me of my love and admiration for Chicago. I’m reminded why I chose to live in this city and attended DePaul and filled with excitement for the future.
1:49 pm- I see the two matching buildings that were my favorite buildings in Chicago as a child. Similar to my experience above, I felt the excitement and hope I have for my future living in Chicago, as I’m reminded of fond memories related to the city from my past.
2 pm- I head down the stairs and walk down to the riverwalk, which is a walk that I often enjoy. I feel relaxed and calm as I walk along the water.
2:20 pm- I reach one end of the riverwalk and begin to plan how to get home. I decide to take a route I am familiar with by walking towards the Grand L Station.
2:35 pm- I stop at a Whole Foods to find something to eat. At home, Whole Foods is one of the places I go to in hopes of getting something filling and healthy. Usually, I get a salad but today I was in the mood for a slice of pizza. I got a slice that I’ve never had- chicken parmesan pizza. I was amazed at how great it tasted. Recently, I’ve been trying to eat foods with meat in it because next month my roommate and I are going to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle- something I’ve wanted to do my whole life but never found the right time.
2:50 pm- I continue on my walk to the Red Line station.
3:00 pm- I reach the train station and head towards Fullerton.
3:15 pm- I get off the train and to the Student Center to meet some friends and recap my walk.
