RING!RING!RING! My alarm buzzed violently. It was already 7:45, and it felt like I had only just gone to bed. Reluctantly, I turned over and stopped the cursed device. By the time I had finished clearing my head and brushing my teeth, it was already 8:00, so quickly threw a water bottle into my bag and ran down to the lobby. We popped into an Italian deli for a breakfast sandwich on our way. After another short walk we arrived at the train station and eventually figured out how to print the damn tickets.
Finally, we were off on our way to Evanston and Northwestern University. The ride, including transfers, took a total of about 40 minutes and was mostly spent listening to music and reading the fantastic book A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. We also got a chance to see the historical Wrigley Field. Maxime had the genius idea of starting his blog early so he did not have to spend as much time on it during the evening. Looking back on it, I probably should have followed suit, but what's done is done.
Luckily, the train station was only a few blocks walk from Northwestern, so we arrived at the visitors' center with a few minutes left to take photos of the stunning beach and sparkling lake. The presentation covered the benefits of going to Northwestern over other colleges. These include plenty of research grant money, 100% coverage of need displayed for financial aid, small classes, office hours for every professor, and support of the college experience through the organization of activities such as going to concerts and plays. The entire presentation lasted about an hour before they introduced the tour guides. All of them seemed quite passionate about one aspect of the university or another, and we chose to be led by Tucker, a theater/dance major who projected well and seemed very well informed about the different programs and opportunities offered by Northwestern. My greatest takeaway from the tour was not the history or the explanation of the different buildings, but the beautiful campus. The shining lawns extended for what seemed like forever, and there were a good amount of trees providing shade for the various benches. The architecture of the Hogwarts-style library was only accentuated by the brilliant green ivy that draped across its great arches. It was truly spectacular to take in. Besides the campus, the other aspect of the school that really enticed me would be the possibility to dabble in areas other than my major. As the typical student at Northwestern takes 48 classes, 8 more than most other colleges, I would have more freedom to explore other interests, something that has been one of my favorite parts of being in high school.
Following our excursion at Northwestern, we headed into Evanston to grab a bite to eat before we took the train back into downtown Chicago. John took note of a small Venezuelan place on the main street, and while my interest was piqued, I was still skeptical, as I had never tried that particular style of cuisine. It turned out to be fantastic, and I'll definitely stop by if I ever am in the area again. We soon returned to the L-train, and after what was roughly another hour and another transfer we were back in downtown Chicago. We stopped by at the hotel for a couple of hours to watch the second half of the World Cup game between Belgium and Brazil. I also finished reading the first chapter of my Astronomy textbook as part of my pre-class homework. We all met in the lobby again at 4:30, and we set out on a mission: to explore Millennium Park.
The first thing I noticed about the park was that it seemed largely geared towards children. There were a few large climbing walls surrounded by a "skating ribbon" which looked a lot like a go-kart track. After we had circled around both of those obstacles, we encountered another playground, with structures and lawns and fountains, all for ages ranging from 2-12. We also visited the huge amphitheater and accompanying lawn, the elegant Cloud Gate (aka the Bean), as well as the huge face fountain that intermittently spouts water. It may have drenched my shoes, but at least I got a solid picture out of it.
For dinner, we stopped by the Bright Wok Kitchen, which had some juicy stir fry and sweet chai tea. While we ate, we shared our various frustrations with our education system, which kept us occupied for a long time. The Admiral called an Uber, and we arrived back at the hotel at around 8:30. It was a fun and active day, and I'm glad I visited Northwestern, as I now am considering applying to go there in a few years. Good night, and see you all tomorrow!
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