For the past two months I've been going to school at the Northside of Chicago, and honestly, I love my proximity to the city. I love that there is always something happening, someplace new to go. I love how mature it feels. The fashion, the people, the food, the history, the art...it's all here. Nothing ever stops moving.
Don't get me wrong. This isn't some article about how perfect the city is. Chicago is far from perfect, and I am not going to romanticize it any further. You see, I've been so caught up in my college life, I've forgotten how to miss home. I've spent so much time here and at other schools, trying to squeeze as much as I can out of my newfound adulthood that I've never really stopped moving.
The other week, my school was on fall break. I took the long weekend as an opportunity to properly spend time at home, and it was an estranged feeling. I felt antsy...and I never thought that antsy would be a word to describe me. I'd like to think of myself as pretty indifferent and passive, much like a sloth, but sitting on my couch at home made me feel like I was missing something. I could have been doing x, y, and z, or I could have been hanging out with person A, or working on that five page essay that is due two weeks from now. It feels like being a college student is never ending pressure to do something. If you're going here for thousands of dollars a year, you better be getting your money's worth.
Eventually I realized that it was a blessing that I could finally just stop being a real person for the day. I finally had a chance to emerge from the horrifying cesspool that is adulthood, and it was really comforting. When you think about college as a high school student, you can either expect to miss home a lot or not at all. In high school, I was definitely the latter (angsty, I know), but coming home made me realize that there were so many other things that people don't tell you your'e going to miss.
So, without further ado, here's a list of slightly obscure things I miss about suburban life:
1. The smell of the steam from the dryer vent out side of your house.
There's just something about getting a whiff of clean laundry on my way out of the house that instantly lifts my mood.
2. Going to the bathroom without shoes on.
It's the little things.
3. Eating food in the comfort of your own home and not feeling insecure about pulling ugly faces while doing it.
It's hard to look attractive and eat a salad at the same time.
4. Driving.
Much like most freshman, I don't have a car readily available any more, which is a bummer. I used to love driving, alone or with my friends, with no particular destination.
5. Seeing the stars on a clear night.
This one might be more relatable for you city folk. I love the skyline at night, but I love a sky full of stars more. It's a give and take, I guess.
6. Suburban sunsets.
Sunsets are beautiful no matter the landscape, of course You can catch a sunset on my snapchat story regardless of location, but there's just something about the way the orange sky meets a wide, open field.
7. Singing in the shower...loudly.
Seriously, ever since I left for college, I've been out of practice, but I don't think my floor mates are ready for my incredible talent.
8. Knowing every single corner of your small town.
This might just be a me thing, but I take pride in always knowing where everything is. Being in a new place is pretty stressful for me because I'm prone to get lost pretty easily.
10. Seasonal decorations.
I never realized how much I miss seeing houses adorned with colorful string lights, but boy, I sure do.
11. Coming home to smell of someone making food.
The smell of pound cake in the oven - that's the bomb.
12. The rumble of garbage trucks in the morning.
Ah, yes, the start of a new day.
13. Lazy Sundays.
I can't believe that I took my Sundays for granted. You know: sleeping in and watching Netflix, or going out for brunch with your family. Lately, the end of my weekends have been non-stop work days, where brunch doesn't even exist because I don't have my first meal until, like, three o'clock.
14. Quiet nights.
This might also be something that pertains to the city people, but I never realized how nice it is to go to bed with absolute silence. Noise pollution didn't become reality for me until I try to go to bed to the sound of cars zooming past, the CTA Red Line train rumbling by, and constant sirens blaring throughout the night. Like I said, the city never stops moving. I miss the suburban calm.
