Happy Thursday, Blog!
I can hardly believe how close we are to the end of Chicago Semester Fall 2019!! As much as I’m trying to reminisce and make the most of every day here, things are flying by SO quickly. Between deadlines for work, classes and thinking ahead to Thanksgiving Break, I’ve had a hard time slowing down.
This weekend I decided to revisit one of my favorite places in Chicago that I hadn’t been to since September, Wicker Park!
The area is a hot spot for “hipster-y” coffee shops, boutiques and killer restaurants. To top it all off, I got to meet a good friend from school who now lives in the Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village area. We decided to meet at Bru Chicago, right off the Blue Line Damen stop, and it might just be my new favorite coffee shop in the city. I have found it difficult to find a coffee shop that has enough table space to do some homework. This place had a ton of tables and couches! As much as I love Starbucks, this place is now in the running for a go-to spot.
In the way that hangouts with good friends go, time flew by (once again!). We got to talk all about our experiences in the city, and the funny ways that similar experiences mean different things to each of us. We’re both passionate about structural change in the city. It was refreshing to hear from somebody else who feels that while it is empowering being in the epicenter of it all, it can also be discouraging. There is only so much one person can do at any given time, but she reminded me that making change is about making the right choices, not necessarily doing the most. Basically, quality over quantity. Leaving that conversation, I felt empowered to not only think about the positive change that I can create, but also the positivity I see in the people around me throughout the city.
There’s this idea of “city folk,” and I feel it’s especially easy to consider them rude, cold, and distant. This paradigm is incredibly easy to slip into, but lately I’ve been challenging myself to notice when this idea fails. This morning, I was watching a bus pull up from across the street. I noticed a group of seemingly strangers run, shout, and flag down the bus. I came to find out, a young father and his daughter needed to catch that bus. A group of strangers saw their struggle and chose to do the right thing and help them. In the craziness and busyness that the city brings, there are people (I would venture to say most people) that choose to make the right choice to help those around them. Intentionally watching for these types of things has given me a great deal of hope as I finish out this incredible semester!
Until next time,
Audrey