[Please read the following to the tune of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"]
Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped, turned upside down.
And I'd like to take some time, make you an aficionado.
I'll tell you how I became the resident of a city called Chicago
In southeast Michigan born and raised.
On the campus of Cornerstone, I spent most of my days.
Chilling out, maxing out, relaxing all cool,
And studying journalism at my school.
When my advisor, a newspaper man
Took a little look at my 4-year program.
I needed 6 more credits for an off-campus internship
He said, "You're spending next semester working in Chicago."
I drove down I90 and when it came near,
Sears Tower and Michigan Ave. were filling my mirror.
Then came hordes of people, and more did follow.
Got a little overwhelmed but, "Yo, homes, to Chicago!"
I pulled up to my apartment about seven or eight,
And I yelled to my parents, "Yo, homes, see ya later!"
Looked at my kingdom, it was better than El Dorado.
I sat on my throne, as a resident of Chicago.
I've been in Chicago for two weeks now. In some ways it feels like it's been much longer, because I've already accomplished so much.
Public transportation? MASTERED.
Internship? NAILED IT.
Friends? MADE SOME.
Those were probably my three biggest worries coming to Chicago. Using the subway and the buses really isn't difficult at all….but I do say this as a person with an iPhone who uses Google Maps every where I go. But really the CS Staff did a pretty fantastic job during orientation explaining how to know which trains are going where. And we got to put our navigational skills to the test in small groups before ever heading out alone (So maybe my group took the scenic route…but we got there eventually!) The staff even provided directions on how to get to each of our internship sites, so no worries there either.
I was blessed to end up with my first choice for my internship. I'm now the Public Relations / Development Intern at the Youth Job Center of Evanston. It's a small non-profit that provides at-risk and underprivileged youth with job readiness training and help finding work. Now Evanston is only 11 miles away from my apartment, but my commute is an HOUR. And I have to transfer from the Red Line to the Purple Line. But so far I enjoy what I'm doing and who I work with. It's not as prestigious as some of the other internship possibilities like working in the Hancock Tower. But I'm super passionate about the mission of the organization, so I would say it's worth it.
Though days of orientation week were brutally long and jam packed making me feel like a freshman in college all over again, many days were pretty open and left a lot of free time. For someone like me who didn't know anyone else in Chicago, it was kind of intimidating. Who on earth was I supposed to hang out with?? I'm an introvert. Quiet. Shy. Sucks at making small talk. Or really any conversation at all. So I'm generally pretty bad at making new friends. And for the first week or so, I honestly felt like I didn't connect with anyone at all. Since Chicago Semester only accepts students from Christian Colleges in the Midwest, I just assumed all of the people participating would be like me and my friends from back home. Not so. A lot of the students here this semester are very into going out to bars and clubs all the time. And I am by no means saying that is wrong. It's just completely different from what I am used to. And I wasn't expecting it all. It was really a shock for me. But God is good and faithful and full of blessings. I randomly met one of the student teachers (who the general track students hardly ever see) in the elevator at the CS building one day. A short conversation later, we realized we both went to the same church at different times in our lives and would much rather play a board game on a Friday night then go out drinking.
And my new friends and I have found PLENTY of things to do in our spare time. And most of them have been FREE.
Lincoln Park Zoo.
Fireworks and concerts and Navy Pier.
Chicago Jazz Festival.
Moody Fest.
Chicago Summer Dance.
Lake Michigan.
Buckingham Fountain.
The "Bean."
