Chicago is a bustling city filled with stone-faced passerby who barely even blink when you almost run into them. It's a city that embodies all American values: working hard, an ethical sense of responsibility (no matter what that may be), and the dream that one may succeed in whatever they desire to do.

But it's not just the skyscrapers or Cloud Gate ("The Bean") that makes Chicago great. It's a park across from the Field Museum, the weird elevator etiquette, and a baseball team.

I. The city smells - bad.

I live in the rural parts of Indiana. I'm used to the smell of manure or any sort of wildlife you can imagine. But the smell of an overpopulated city makes me gag. The sewers of Chicago reeks into the air. I first thought that someone had passed gas. But no - Chicago just smells terribly. (I can't even imagine what New York might smell like.)

II. Stay on your side of the elevator.

I know this is basic etiquette for any traveler, but I'm very inexperienced. So when I was told to step on the right side of the elevator so other people can walk down it, I was very confused. Why does that matter? Why wouldn't you just use the stairs? Apparently this is common knowledge. ("Just a small town girl...living in a ciiiiity world...")

III. It's like a bigger Grand Rapids.

I'm not a native to Michigan, but I've spent most of my life there. Grand Rapids was huge to me as a child (and, I'll admit, even until I visited Indianapolis...). So one thing I noticed when I was in Chicago was that it was almost like a larger Grand Rapids. The city almost looks the same. This point is a bit harder to explain if you haven't actually been to, what should be, Michigan's capital. But Grand Rapids is a center for the arts and has its own culture. In Michigan, you go to Grand Rapids to see things you can't see in Lansing. And, in Chicago, you do the same.

(Below: Grand Rapids, MI)

This was actually a huge pleasant surprise to me. I expected the people to have their noses in the air and to make snide remarks at tourists like me. But they were very friendly and warm. The natives apologized when necessary and helped us out when we needed directions. Even the cab drivers were tolerant with one another (I expected a lot of fist shaking, but it was just honking). The lore I've been told as a small-town girl was false: city-slickers are people like us.

V. Union Station is gorgeous.

I had never been on a train before, so obviously I had never stepped foot in a train station. Union Station in Chicago is absolutely breathtaking. And because I visited right before the holidays, some of the Christmas trees were up. The building was filled with life and lights. While waiting for my friend to use the restroom, I sat on a bench and watched an old man read the newspaper. It was really magical. This was easily one of my favorite parts of Chicago.

VI. Bring bubble gum if you plan on visiting Willis Tower.

Again - I am a beginner. The friend I had with me has traveled to countries I hope to see even in my dreams. When we were riding the elevator up to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, my ears began to pop. And, yes, it hurt. She said to me, "That's why you bring gum. When you chew, your ears won't pop like that." Ah. Note taken. Nonetheless, Willis Tower was incredible. But I'm sure you've heard that already.

VII. That random, open space...

If you turn right while facing Buckingham Fountain, you'll enter a clearing that has a perfect skyline view of Chicago. I'm not even sure if it's part of Grant Park, but it's the perfect place of solitude in a city spiraling out of control. I do know for a fact that it faces the Field Museum, but its exact location? I couldn't tell you. But I wanted to mention this space of open land because in cities like that you find valuables like this.

(Below: "The hiiills are alive with the sound of muuuusic...")

I'm sure you've heard, but the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in over 100 years. The city was full of Easter eggs - everywhere you looked, someone was wearing a red, white, and blue hat or donning a shirt with the infamous "C" on it. To visit Chicago, not even two weeks after such a historical event, was like watching a bunch of proud parents strut the streets after their kids just got on the dean's list. I was witnessing the fallout of history and the warmth of community.

(Below: Here's a dinosaur wearing a Cubs jersey. My point exactly.)

Chicago is a great place to visit. But I also realized that never, in a million years, would I be able to live in a place like that. Chicago is a glorious place for extroverts who don't mind the hustle and bustle of the streets. But, alas, I am a small-town girl at heart and I'm afraid I always will be. I still don't understand how trains work (I never realized that "mind the gap" doesn't just go for London) and I'll never have a clue on how to navigate a monstrous city by staring at multi-colored lines.

I tip my hat to you, Chicago.

My Cubbies hat, anyway.