As the song “End of the Beginning” plays on my headphones, I step into this new life in Chicago. At the airport, it is Christmas time, the immigration line is too long, and I am nervous and anxious about what this new possibility holds.
As someone who has never stepped on foreign soil, this flight felt like a journey to the underworld, through never-ending oceans, before finally landing here. I think I circled the North Pole. But as I stepped out in Chicago, I knew one thing: “Man, I am going to freeze.”
This city welcomed me with weather unprecedented to my tropical blood. I did not know the sun could set this early, or that the streets could feel so desolate.
I had no expectations before coming here, but I surely did not do my research. The architecture, the weather, the wind, all of it, let’s say, surprised me.
It has been three months since I packed my life into a suitcase to begin my studies in this new city, only to be greeted by seasonal depression and gray skies. I dreaded wearing layers, afraid I would still be cold, and I am someone who cares about fashion.
As the days have passed, I have opened my heart to this city. I can be a harsh critic sometimes, but it is not the city’s fault that it sits at such a latitude, or that it made me miss my friends and family back home. This was a choice I made, and continue to make, to live here and experience life a little differently.
As I traverse this unfamiliar land, I realize I do like a few things: running by the riverside as the wind hits my face or throws me off balance, sitting and reading a book while watching the ripples, walking across bridges just to count how many I can cross in a day, craning my neck at tall glass buildings and wondering if I will ever land a job in one of these human dens.
I still do not know my verdict on Chicago. They say first impressions tend to last, but I believe familiarity breeds affection. So we shall see what experiences this city has in store, and whether, as the song says, I will never be able to get these Chicago experiences out of myself.