North by Northwest

I often hear that it requires one hour per time zone before you get acclimated to a new area when traveling. For our cohort, it feels like we have fit in at home here all too easy. Today we woke up and were greeted to an amazingly cool breeze, a sweet reprieve from yesterday's cloudy and somehow oppressive humidity that had us reeling. Stepping outside for the day gave us big smiles on our faces as there was not a cloud in the sky. We even joked with each other over our clothing choices, as Shreejal insisted on wearing his sweatshirt when the rest of us knew today's weather would be just perfect and he wouldn't need it. Turned out, all of us were right, as the weather was perfect no matter what we wore.

On our tour at Northwestern,
notice the beautiful weather.

We grabbed a quick breakfast down the street from our hotel; a small Italian cafe, and left for the L train station. We made excellent time on the train and even had the enjoyment of seeing the Chicago Cubs stadium while we zoomed ahead on the express train towards our final destination for the morning; Northwestern University. 

From the train station nearby in Evanston, we walked a short distance through the campus where our groups could not stop taking pictures. The campus, situated on the edge of Lake Michigan, reflected the beauty of the blue sky and cast a picturesque vision of what hardly could be a lake, but must have been a fancy, resort style beach. The waters were clear, the weather perfect, and the campus lush and green. In staying with the theme that is "Chicago", the buildings around Northwestern offered a strong variety of architectural design. Buildings were obviously from different eras, each one sporting a variety of roofs, structure, entrances, and imposing height. One such building later pointed out on the tour as the library, had similarities to that of Hogwarts, the fictional school from the book series "Harry Potter".

The "Harry Potter" building.

We found the Segal Visitors Center easily and arrived just in time for our tour. The back of the center opened up to a view of the lake. The beach leading to it had sailing boats strewn about, just asking for a group to pick one up and attempt to navigate the light breezes on the water. As the informational session began, our cohort found seats in the front row as we listened to why this university is a strong fit for us. The speakers were graceful, knowledgeable, and had excellent information to share. They explained that Northwestern is a research-based institution. Students that came to the University were encouraged to add to the curriculum, not just absorb it. Their programs listed a robust alumni presence around the world, international study abroad programs, and a highly engaged holistic approach to education that allows students to graduate with multiple majors, offering a creative outlet to traditional one-stream forms of education. 

Northwestern University, through the quarter system, offers students a unique opportunity to complete multiple degrees in four years. It was exciting to discuss with our tour guide at how, by taking 5 classes a quarter, he is on track to graduate with majors in Theater, Dance, and Sociology. Descriptions from our guide told us of classes that crossed multiple disciplines, such as 'Swing Dance for Engineering Majors'. This was the type of creative environment that leads to colleges being top in the country.

We like the Chicago-life

After the tour, we put our feet in the waters of Lake Michigan to make sure we were still here in Chicago. Though it wasn't very warm today, we couldn't leave without some barefoot walking on the beach as we discussed our immediate thoughts on the school itself. We made our way, still barefoot, through the local Evanston neighborhood looking at houses (I may have been looking up prices on the real estate app Zillow as we walked) and eventually had to put shoes back on to be able to get lunch. 

We stopped at a small Venezuelan restaurant and ate some tacos and fried plantains, then made our way back to the train to head back. On our way, we shared conversations with those around us on the Brazil World Cup game (they lost, and are out of the World Cup) and while stopping at Addison Station, we got to see a live Chicago Cubs game from the outside of Wrigley Field! As bitter-sweet luck would have it, since there was no express train at 1pm, our train ride was extra long, which allowed us to share a conversation with a local Chicagoan who had just moved back from the Bay Area and Oakland. She loved hearing our stories from Chicago. We spoke to her young niece, a new high school freshmen in Chicago, about the Bay Area and why we love it.

Chicago at sunset.

In the afternoon we continued our site-seeing adventure. We made sure to tour Millennium Park, where we walked through playgrounds full of small children, saw rollerblading tracks, rock climbing sets, concert venues gearing up for the night, flower gardens, fountains, and of course the Bean. The Bean is actually called "Cloud Gate", but we felt the Bean was more appropriate. In real life, it is massive, beautiful, and packed with people at all times. We finished our walk with a trip to the Buckingham Fountains, which behind a backdrop of skyscrapers at sunset, was a zen moment in and of itself. 

Today was a day in which the cohort got a little more comfortable with each other. We discussed topics such as education in high school, college, philosophy, and even some soccer. This group has really been open to new experiences, and that is not always easy to do, even when you know what is coming. I am excited to see them in their program for this summer as we embark early tomorrow to the University of Chicago. They are naturally inquisitive, incredibly intelligent, and intentional in their focus. They balance a good amount of curiosity combined with cautiousness, as if what they are witnessing isn't entirely real, that they may wake up and find themselves back home, or possibly worse, that they may not belong with the other students. They entered a competition of resources known as college admissions, and I can say with certainty, they all belong at that competitive level. Shreejal, Kayla, Isaac, and Maxime all shape the spaces they occupy. Their energy is infectious, they control the room with their openness, and I am very proud to see their work come alive in front of them. Tomorrow, they enroll as college students at one of the most prestigious Universities in the world. Own it. 

So much personality in one Bean.