I drove to Chicago, all things go, all things go...

I miss Chicago more than I've ever missed any place before. It's hard to believe that such a large, cold, busy place could be the best home that I've ever had, but it is. I remember in my first semester that my parents forbid that I go anywhere alone, even to the Starbucks a block away from Moody. But my fear of the huge, obnoxious city quickly deteriorated, partially because of necessity, and partially because of the comfort that I soon acquired on the streets near Moody. I went from not being able to walk to the S'bucks a block away, to traveling an hour and a half round trip to Humboldt Park by myself, going by buses, train, and foot. I went from being afraid of the city, to wanting to embrace every aspect of it. Fortunately, I had friends who were not afraid of exploring the city, as many Moody students are prone to be.

I miss hazy warm nights where walking through the city wasn't a trial and it didn't matter if the bus we were waiting for was an hour late. I miss walking on the beaches and playing ultimate frisbee at night. I miss getting lost and stumbling upon hip places like Reckless Records, Myopic Books, Buffalo Exchange and all of the joys of places like Wrigleyville and Wicker Park. I miss Navy Pier and the fireworks. I miss getting caught in warm downpours and getting back to school drenched to the bone, all for the sake of Dunkin Donuts with my best friends. I miss almost everything about the life that I had there, and I would give almost anything to have it back again.