For almost a year now, I have lived in Lexington, Kentucky. This past year, the only times I got to talk about my hometown were when I was wearing Chicago sportswear and I when was asked where I'm from. Everyone from any Chicago suburb knows the struggle of answering someone when asked where they are from. It seems to be the same conversation every time. After they ask where you are from, you take a second and debate whether to tell them the name of your hometown and have to spend minutes explaining where it is or to take the simple way and just say “I am from Chicago.” If you’re like me, the answer is always Chicago.
As proud as I am to live within an hour of one of the greatest cities in the world, it's sad that I am never able to name my hometown and have the person I am having the conversation with know exactly what I am talking about. I am beyond proud to say where I am from and want people to know there is more than just Chicago in Illinois.
The northern suburbs of Illinois take on many different characteristics that make them unlike anywhere else.
1. We may not live in the "country" but we know a good time.
Whether it is a late light bonfire, off-roading or jumping in a lake, over the years we have found our own ways to have fun. I have seen shows like Duck Dynasty and Buck Wild, and sometimes I can’t help but relate to some of the things they have done. We may not live in the country but we definitely are not a city. In our small towns, there is not much to do so we learn to get creative.
2. There are two cities we escape to, Lake Geneva and Chicago.
It doesn't matter the season or time of day, these are the two places we can always escape to for a perfect day. Whether it's at the Lake Geneva beach or walking down the streets of Chicago, days like that are what we live for. I found myself bored late at night and on the way to both places. There is nothing more soothing than sitting on the beach late at night or driving around Chicago just looking at the lights. We know every wonder of Lake Geneva whether it is the best food, best bars, or the locations of private beaches. The same goes for Chicago. With the amount of time we go there each year, we can tell you the best food places, best bars and the places every tourist needs to see.
3. High school fan sections take competition to a whole new level.
It does not matter what high school you attended or who your rival school is. In our area, everyone are rivals and we define competition. Whether it's hating on schools for being private or public or degrading them for the size of their fan section at games, northern Illinois high schools compete over it all. Smack FVC and SmackHigh Illinois are our personal places to vent about our hatred towards the other schools. I would not have wanted my high school career to be any other way, I enjoyed every second of screaming across the field and dressing up to mock the other schools.
These simple wonders are what makes northern Illinois so amazing. There is so much more to Illinois than just Chicago. Although I ended up moving 400 miles away from home, I would not have wanted to grow up anywhere else but the northern suburbs.
I wish everyone knew the wonders of northern Illinois like I do.
