lindsayliveshere.org

This city breathes

My little sister Lisa and her boyfriend Sean visited Chicago last weekend. They arrived fresh from their 12-hour drive with a carload of sugar, essentially: Dr. Pepper, Easter candy, eggs ensconced in a basket made of cookie (from our Italian grandma), and more candy candy candy. Oh, and homemade spaghetti sauce (from my mom). Eliina and I took them in, gave them an air mattress, and, with Kevin’s help, showed them Chicago. I didn’t know what their two-day tour of Chicago should be. Monuments? Museums? We went to the Field, the zoo, Navy Pier…. and then started on diners like Clarke’s and hipster-kid stores like the Alley. You know. What you wanted to do when you were 20 and free in a city that breathes you out as you breathe it in. It reminded me of first arriving here, feeling anonymous, poor and unburdened. I still feel like that sometimes.