Chicago

Chicago to me is the onion city of emotions. I lived there for a little over 3 months as part of an exchange program with my university.

The first reaction on arrival, after a 33 hour bus ride from Billings Montana, was of amazement and anger. Initially, I thought it was understandable as I hadn't properly slept, eaten or showered in 2 days, not to mention the confusion with directions, ending up on the North side of town dragging my suitcase around for an hour looking for "South" Clark. Once I finally arrived at the dorms, I was kept waiting outside for almost an hour to technically move in and register when the only thing I wanted was a nice hot shower and a bed to rest!

However the feeling of uneasiness and anger did not leave me even after kicking my feet up in the dorm, I slowly came to realize that it was the toxic emotional energy of down town that was overpowering me.

I should mention at this point, that while I was in Montana I had begun my spiritual journey and just a week before leaving I opened myself up energetically without understanding how to establish personal boundaries. As a result, the first month in Chicago was a personal hell. Luckily I was able to find an amazing community that helped me understand energy and healing better.

As time went on , the character of the city and its vibrant population began to reveal itself to me and as I began to understand it more and I was pleasantly surprised and I appreciated its uniqueness.

Towards the end of my stay, I ended up falling in love with this amazing city and I intend to visit it again!