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| DePaul University Graduation 2009 |
There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.
-Author Unknown
At eighteen, I moved away from a small suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, to attend DePaul University in Lincoln Park. The transition from suburban girl to urban dweller was rough. Instead of using my '99 Corolla for transportation; I relied on trains, buses, taxi's and my own two feet to run errands and explore the city. Instead of quiet night skies filled with stars; city lights shined 24/7 and the rush of the 'L' train woke me up at all hours of the night. Instead of a nicely manicured lawns, colorful flower beds and tall trees outside my front door; concrete, homeless people and cigarette butts greeted me as I exited my dormitory.
Needless to say, it took me a while to embrace Chicago as a place I could hang my hat and call home. There wasn't a defining moment or event that made me see that this city is a beautiful place to live. There were people. People who made me laugh. People who wanted to drink bubble tea in Chinatown and listen to live music at Alive One. There were people who brought me tea when I was sick and invited me out to my first sushi restaurant. People who laid out with me at the beach, and people who took me to my first protest.
The development of amazing friendships enabled me to create memories throughout the landscape of Chicago. My love for the city slowly blossomed as neighborhoods, train rides and restaurants no longer blurred together with the rest of the urban hustle and bustle. Certain places became the home of fun nights out, quiet spots to study, and excellent dining experiences facilitating great conversation.
Therefore, I dedicate Day 19 to the lovely ladies I met at DePaul University who transformed my view of the urban jungle. The formation of our friendships is why I can blog with such enthusiasm about this city today. I look forward to spending my days creating new memories with many of these ladies this summer. Below are photos from the college reunion weekend we had together last summer in Indiana.
Who do you look forward to creating memories with this summer in Chicago?
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| Almost are entire circle of friends made it out for this fun weekend reunion last summer. We missed you Brittany, Julia, & Katy!! |
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| Ali (top left), Peapod (top right), Julie (lower left), & Anne (lower right)! |
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| Heading out for some time at the pool. |
Aww I love this! I miss having everyone together in a 5 block radius!
ReplyDeleteThese "ghosts of summers past" posts have been fantastic. Lots of pieces of the first two decades of Abby Smith. Keep 'em coming.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I miss having everyone around too! But I'm also excited to see everyone's individual paths unfold. I feel very fortunate to have friends who live such interesting lives, unafraid to step out into the world and march to the beat of their own drums.
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