We’ve been in Chicago one month. Wow. It is honestly flying
by and I laugh when I think just how much all of our lives have changed in just
a month. Just a little bit ago most of us were on our college campuses as
seniors - big fish in small ponds. Now our roles are opposite. To quote the great
urban philosopher Drake, we are starting from the bottom, working our way up in
our respective careers. After being in school the majority of my life it’s a
refreshing change that I looked forward to, but at the same time it’s like
jumping off a cliff and not knowing what to expect below.
My internship started with a difficult choice between three
great opportunities that all appealed to me for different reasons, but in the
end I decided to intern at eshots, Inc. They specialize in collecting marketing
data (to put it simply) and I can already see myself growing in my professional
marketing and project management skills, which is exactly what I came to
Chicago to achieve. The office environment is relaxed but there are so many
dedicated smart people here that the learning opportunities are endless. One
thing I haven’t mentioned yet is the amazing location! Our building is located
on the corner of E. Wacker and Wabash, right on the Chicago River across from
Trump Tower. For those interested in action movies, this building starred in
the movies Batman Begins and Transformers 3. 
Other than working, we have certainly had time to see more
of the city. For our Diversity and Inequality class we ventured to the Pilsen
neighborhood of Chicago where some of the other CSers live. Here we were able
to see some crazy cool murals from local artists and learn about the history of
the neighborhood and the people that live there. Afterwards a group of us went
and found a great authentic Mexican restaurant and socialized while having some
great food. I’m looking forward to all the different places we’re going to get
to explore and learn about through this class. Chicago is a city with all
spectrums of people and learning about how all of this came to be and how it
fits into the greater American picture is very interesting. This will also help
me fulfill one of the activities on my Chicago bucket list – get authentic food
from at least 10 different ethnic neighborhoods. 
We were also able to attend a production of Alice at the Looking Glass Theater,
which was in one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.
It’s a building with a lot of history and the show greatly exceeded my
expectations. I often caught myself wondering whether it was at a play or an
acrobatics show. I have to admit that I often don’t give the arts as much of a
look as I should, but because I knew Chicago had some world-class art, I signed
up to do the art events and I’m so glad I did! I have no eye for art
whatsoever, but while I’m in the city I figured I might as well check out some of
the art that people travel the world to come see – and it’s so much cheaper
than if I were to do them on my own. We have seen a play, gone to the Art
Institute of Chicago, and are heading to a ballet this week; three things you
wouldn’t have caught me doing before I came to Chicago.
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