Where are you from?

Yesterday, three different people stopped me on the street and asked for directions--and I knew how to get them to where they wanted/needed to be! Perhaps this is because of my exploratory nature or maybe because I'm so anxious I've memorized the subway map. Either way, I'm beginning to recognize Chicago as my city. When some tourists from D.C. asked me where I was from, I responded, without missing a beat, "Chicago!" It's true. I live here. In the seminar that guides this whole semester, we have been discussing the distinction between travel and tourism. If I fall into either category, I'm leaning more towards that of traveler, given my inclination towards non-chain restaurants and independent bookstores, but really, I feel more like a resident than anything else. The cashiers at my neighborhood cafe know my name and breakfast order, I just got my Chicago public library card, I'm joining a gym, I've signed up to volunteer with a few organizations, and I was filmed dancing in Millennium Park! I could just hear the tourists narrating, "Real, live Chicago wildlife" as they pointed their lenses towards me and my friends.

On that note, however, I must say--Chi Town does not dance. I've been to three concerts in this city, now, and even when the music is especially dance-worthy (who can resist Pavement's "Cut Your Hair?"), I find myself to be the only dancer in all of the Pritzker Pavilion. Where are all the crazy legs?

Of course, though I've become better at navigating the city, I still have trouble finding my way through the Newberry Library's catalogue. My project is shaping up nicely. I've located almost all of the sources I'll need to complete the project and am even formulating an organizational outline. My research prospectus is due (gulp!) on Monday, and the following day, I will present my prospectus to the library community. Once that's over with, this is official, which is actually invigorating. I can't wait to start setting my own schedule and really diving into the material I love.

As the weather gets cooler, I am missing Middle Path quite a bit, especially since Yahoo just publicized Forbes' pronouncement of Kenyon College as the most beautiful college in the world. Then again, Gambier does not have the Nordstrom coat section to peruse and lust after. I think, at least for now, I'll stay and continue to discover, as Miss Kingsley says, "the qualities of a good thick skirt." Who knows? Perhaps I'll find myself to "be more comfortable there than in England"--err Gambier.