Feeling the City

Lately I've been walking the 17 blocks to and from work. It's become my favourite part of the day. Each night I take a different route home and I've seen more of Chicago in the last two weeks than I have the last two years of living here.

Each neighbourhood has a different feeling. I walk out of work onto the busy street filled with office drones in the Loop. After 6 blocks I'm in River North and surrounded by interesting and savoury-scented restaurants. I usually pass one of my favourite clubs at this point and feel a slight pang of want to see a good dj.

4 more blocks and I've reached my neighbourhood. It almost feels like I'm in London due to the similar architechture of apartments. I miss it so much that the similarity is never lost. As I pass the magnificent and elderly Scottish First Cathedral that is connected to an old mansion being rented out, I wonder if it is as haunted as it looks. Being Halloween season and all I reckon that I'm allowed to go on about haunted antics. And usually I would, anyway, no matter what time of year.

There's a lovely park on my left and sometimes I'll pause and breathe in the crisp autumn air whilst watching the leaves finally fall before turning right and briskly walking the remaining blocks home.

I love Chicago. It's hard to believe that I can be happy in America but I think I've finally gotten over some of my hatred towards this country. Of course, there are certain things that still really annoy me but I'm not going to skip town because of them anymore. And this is lovely because I can be happy and near my family which wasn't possible even a year ago, really...

Chicago's great. It's industrial but beautiful, modern but old, cold but sunny (most of the time). London's better in my opinion but we can't always be where our hearts truly lie. This will do quite nicely, though.