Looking back on the past year of my life, there had been nothing more intimidating to me than choosing a college. In fact, I feel as though it was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make. When I was a senior in high school, I thought no further than the day ahead of me, let alone the years ahead of me. All I could think about was what size of Starbucks coffee I was going to need that morning to keep me remotely alert in a day consisting of nine class periods. As these moments often come flooding back to me, I remember others very distinctively-visiting colleges, weighing my likes and dislikes, and letting the thought sink in that, in exactly one year, this would be the place that I would be living. I kept telling myself that I needed to choose a location where I would be happiest, and truly, Chicago never once escaped the back of my mind. Growing up in the suburbs was a blessing for me, and having the ability to spend time downtown was always something I found extremely exciting. Between day trips, night life, and everything else in between, I found myself having a difficult time with the thought of saying good bye to the city scene. Coming from a person who feels as though they are constantly in motion and living with a schedule that, at times, seems rather unrealistic for me to uphold, it has made me realize how much I hate the idea of the word “quiet.” When I had an abundance of down time, I felt as though I was doing nothing but wasting time. In my present days, I long for the nights of my senior year of high school where I would be able to come home, take three-hour naps, complete homework (which began to become a rarity, as a severe case of senioritis struck me early in the year), and spend hours at a time on Houseparty, my biggest distraction for the two months that it was popular.

What I have come to find, in essence, is that this city is everything but “quiet.” In reality, it is exactly what I need. I am becoming exposed to this bustling city and its entertaining crowds in ways that I never imagined. One year ago, I would have been terrified to take a train by myself for fear of being completely and utterly lost. Today, I look forward to my trips on the Red Line to DePaul’s Loop Campus. I live for the nights I spend in Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville, taking in as much of its beauty and diversity as I can. For the longest time, I feared that I made the wrong choice by staying local. I began to regret my decision, often allowing myself to think that I would not be receiving the typical “college experience” if I did not move to a new town and place myself in a new environment. Yet, staying in the city has only made my love grow stronger for it. Chicago, you have my heart, and I look forward to continuing experiencing all that you have to offer.