Walking Chicago
Week 3
Option 2
I Walkout side and I am ready to follow a stranger around the city. It was about 3:00 and everyone was out either leaving classes or leaving work. I tried to follow someone who stuck out to me, so someone who had a very cool outfit on or someone who I felt like was walking with a big purpose. I started to walk down Fullerton and I see a cool looking guy who had a very nice outfit on walking the opposite way from campus. He had on baggy jeans and this cool button-down shirt that just stuck out. So, I decided to set my timer and follow him. While I am following him, I had to maintain a good bit of distance, this wasn’t hard at all because this guy was a very fast walker. I consider myself a fast walker, but this guy flew it was crazy. So, as I am trying to keep up with him, I notice that we are heading near this awesome strip on bars and restaurants that is right near campus. While we were walking through this strip I checked my timer, and I got about 20 mins to go. But as I look up, I see him heading to this group of people and they all meet up and talk for a second. As they were talking, I was praying that they or he will still end up walking. But out of the group of people this girl who also seemed pretty cool left with him and they headed off and I was there with them. When he was walking with the girl he walked slower at her pace and it looked like they were a couple, made me shed a little tear on how adorable it was. But while they were walking, they crossed the street, and I almost lost them there because I didn’t make the cross-walking sign. So, I had to use my special Jay walking powers to cross the street and not lose them. I notice that it looked like they had a destination, and I was hoping that my timer was going to run out before they got there. I had about 11 minutes and 26 seconds left. (Yes, I remember that exact number I don’t know why I do either), So I was hoping that they were going to take their time. I noticed that we did like a loop and now we are headed back towards campus. The couple looked very happy the whole time they were walking, they were holding hands and laughing, it was awesome. I saw that we were heading back to Fullerton, so I thought they were either going to hop on the train and or head back to their house/ dorms. So, while I was getting nervous, I saw that they just walked right by Fullerton but then kept walking forward. My timer was running low, and I could tell they we are close to their destination. Then I started smelling this amazing food and I was looking around to i=find where it was coming from. Then I notice them step into this wicked cool restaurant called Doghouse. Place seemed awesome so I wrote it down on my phone and decided to head there the next day. My timer ran out right about when they were close to their destination, overall, I had a great time, and I found a new cool spot to take my friends. (By the way doghouse is like a 7.1/10).
- 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?
I feel as if this question was made for me. I have gotten lost one too many times in Boston. The time that I got completely lost is when I was about 12. My parents dropped me off at Lynch Family Skatepark and I met up with my friends. I knew that area pretty well so I wasn’t nervous at all. But then my friends wanted to go street skating. So we went all over the city skating around and then when I had to go home, I had to meet my dad back at the skatepark and I had no idea how to get there. I asked my buddies and they just pointed in a direction and said go that way. So my 12 year old self did. Knowing the area now I think it is so funny how I got lost because I was about a 10 min skate from the skatepark but I managed to make it a 30. I remember we were close to tb garden and there is a bridge I could crossed over and I would been right at the skatepark. Instead I went all the way around the Tobin bridge which is just insane. I was just skating through enjoying the city, my 12 year old self wasn’t that nervous because I knew that I was going to be ok. But I called my dad and he wanted me to figure it out, and that’s what I just did. While skating I notice this bridge that crosses over into Cambridge and that is where the skatepark is. I head for the bridge. While on the bridge I got the most beautiful view of the city and the tobin. I crossed over the bridge and took a right because that was the direction and after skating straight for a bit I knew exactly where I was. So I called my dad to tell him I will be there is 5 mins and I was right.
