I got off the CTA one day and decided to follow one of the students. I specifically chose this person because their backpacks looked the same as mine. After only about six minutes they walked into the student center. I was not able to note what happened during this time. When I saw a man walking a lab down the street and decided to follow them. This was where my real walk began.
Before the walk I felt sleepy and wanted to go take a nap in my dorm. I went down Belden for a few blocks. The time was 12:22 p.m. It was a cloudy day and it felt a little humid out. The man and his dog took their time walking so I would pretend to go on my phone every once in a while. I tried using my senses at this time. I heard car engines being used and tires rolling against the concrete. A minute later I heard either a police or ambulance siren. I experienced the doppler effect from left to right so it must have been about two blocks away. I could not really smell anything of note except for the few seconds of sewage I smelled out of nowhere. That has been happening to me every once in a while when I’m on my walks. I never knew where it came from so I assumed it was from the sewage. I also smelled the used gasoline from the cars.
It was a little windy that day too. I felt the breeze often push against my skin as I continued following this man and his dog. He finally turned left on Clifton and a few minutes later turned right on Webster. He then entered Trebes Park and went over to sit on a bench. I could smell the grass as if it was a fresh patch. I decided that this was a good time to stop following him. I was drawn to the park because there were fifth and sixth graders playing flag football. It was being run by a few adults and seemed to be some kind of school activity. I almost wanted to jump in and play with them. It reminded me of my elementary school years. There was also a basketball hoop that was being put up which I found interesting.
After a while I decided to go back to my dorm, but do it in a different way that I came. I almost did not want to leave the man and the dog for some reason. They felt sort of comforting to me in a way I can’t explain. If I had to guess, this must have been a routine that this man and his dog had. After acknowledging this I went down Webster and turned right on Lakewood. Then I moved all the way down the road until I saw a giant U-Haul building. That was when I officially reached Ozanam and I returned back to my dorm successfully.
I got to my room and mapped out the route I went on after first seeing the man and his lab. I felt like I barely reached thirty minutes, but I was happy about the experience. It reminded me of when I went on walks back and home and would see people playing sports at a park near my house. If I stayed at that park to watch them any longer I may have gotten home sick. After this walk, I felt awake and ready to take on my homework for the day. I guess this activity put me in a better state of mind and body.
Losing yourself in a city means to be left in a state of wonder. When you are seeing aspects of a city on a larger scale it starts to leave you speechless. For years I have visited Chicago for family events, parties, and sports games. A few weeks ago I went to the top of the Hancock building. For thirty minutes I had a view of the whole city. All that time I have spent navigating the city and trying to comprehend where everything just drifted away. I stood silently as I looked outwards at the hundreds of buildings and city blocks. This is what it means to lose yourself. I was completely tuned into the moment. Nothing else was on my mind. All I could think about was how much was happening in front of my very eyes. At that moment I realized that this was the city that was holding millions of people, and now I am one of them. (162)
