Chicago is such a wonderful place! There is so much to do, so much to see, so many places to explore. Every day is a new adventure. On several occasions I have found myself wandering the streets and finding a tall building just so I can overlook the entire city (I haven't made it to the Willis- that is the Sears- Tower yet.) The Windy City is a bubble of beauty. There are some things I have learned in the short time I've been here: there are the obvious things like cars don't stop for pedestrians, don't touch your face after being in a subway train, and don't talk to strangers. There are few more lessons; however, that may not be so obvious:
1. Do not stand on the curb when it is raining or after it has just rained. You WILL get soaked when a car speeds by just as it is displayed in the movies. No part of the experience is exaggerated. (I learned from experience.)
2. Dunkin Doughnuts is open 24/7. This is a vital piece of information to have tucked away in the corner of your brain because as we all know, the world runs on Dunkin Doughnuts. (I haven't actually been there yet.)
3. Do not make eye contact with sales people on the street. Once they see that you see them, they will pounce like a lion taking down a zebra. There is no escape. They will mercilessly suck you in and waste your time. If you try to get away, they'll give you the guilt trip and make a big scene over how you don't care about the world. (I learned from experience.)
4. Everything is more expensive. If you go into a dollar store and buy only one item for ONE dollar, you'll end up paying somewhere close to THREE dollars for it. Ridiculous, I know. It's not fair. (I learned from experience.)
5. Food is glorious. So far, I have eaten nothing that my taste buds have found an undesirable thing to have in my mouth. This is why college students are expected to gain 15 pounds. Then again, we can just walk it off. (I learned from experience... the walking it off part.)
6. Walking is the easiest mode of transportation. Not to mention the cheapest. I guarantee that about 70% of the time, it is faster to walk than to take a bus, a taxi, or the subway especially in rush hour which begins at 4 PM. Besides, you'll lose unwanted calories and gain super calf muscles, which I am in the process of developing. There have already been several occasions when I beat the bus to my dorm anyway.
7. Kingoberry and Yogen Fruz are NOT the same as Orange Leaf. I learned this rather quickly. More than anything, they are closer to ice cream that frozen yogurt. This has been my greatest disappointment thus far. Kingoberry is probably as close as it will get here, but it still doesn't do it justice.
These are the major things I have learned in the past month of being a newbie in the big city. I didn't actually realize how sheltered I was until I came here either. That's a whole different subject though. I promise I will make another list of lessons learned when I do learn more. When they said, "It's a jungle out there," (whoever 'they' are) they weren't kidding.
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