That first week in Chicago felt like a fever dream

Moved here last August from a small town in Ohio and I swear the first 7 days were a total blur. I remember walking down Michigan Avenue on a Tuesday morning and some guy just handed me a flyer for a free comedy show that night. Ended up going alone, sat next to a random couple who bought me a beer and gave me tips on which el stops to avoid after 11pm. That same week I got lost in Pilsen trying to find a taco spot and stumbled into a mural walk instead. I think what hit me hardest was how friendly strangers actually are here despite the whole "Chicago attitude" stereotype. The noise and the smells and the way people just talk to you on the bus threw me off for a solid month. Has anyone else had a first week here that was just completely wild and unexpected?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.amy17d ago

The 'Chicago attitude' stereotype thing really got me too. I moved from a place where people barely make eye contact, and here someone on the bus just started telling me his whole life story about his cat. What worked for me was just leaning into it and saying yes to everything for that first month, like that free comedy show you went to. I ended up going to a random street fest alone and a group of artists just pulled me into their painting circle. It felt weird at first, but it was the fastest way to actually feel like I lived here instead of just visiting. The noise and the smells took me a few months to get used to, but now I'd feel way more lost without them. Honestly, that overwhelmed blur is kind of the whole point of moving here, you know?

finley72917d ago

Oh man, that painting circle thing is exactly the kind of random luck that happens when you just show up! I did the same thing when I moved here, said yes to every invite for like two months straight. It was exhausting but it worked, I think the key is to not overthink it. Once you commit to being a person who just does stuff, people start texting you about things and that's when it really clicks.