Those Who Come and Go From Chicago

A city’s life is visible in the way it changes, and more importantly, who changes it. Gangsters, politicians, hipsters, punks – they’re the ones who corrupted Chicago’s neighborhoods, turned sketchy bars into artsy hangouts, and commissioned some of the city’s most beautiful buildings. No matter their reputation, the mark they left on Chicago is undeniable.

But there are also those who stamp Chicago in small ways that go unnoticed by the general public. For me, these people were my personal tour guides and my partners in crime. They were equally curious about Chicago’s attractions and mysteries. They were special people who helped me love Chicago, but have since left the city for good. Knowing them in the city has significantly changed my life here.

It all started by envying my sister’s life in Chicago while I lived in Wisconsin. Chicago nurtured Stephanie’s admirable independence, where she could live as a true artist. Stephanie painted the streets of Wicker Park, made this city her own, and inspired me to do the same.

In my first city post-college/Korea, it was Heather Lee, a friend from college, who showed me how to keep part of Madison alive here in Chicago. Heather brought me to Badger games at Redmond’s and Will’s on fall Saturdays, and introduced me to countless friends at her beer-themed house parties.

It was at one such “Bring Strange Beer” party that I met Christine and Gisella, twentysomethings with more curiosity about Chicago than anyone I’ve met. For when I was with Christine and Gisella, I discovered Indian food and brow threads on Devon. With these girls, I salsa danced for the first time at Rumba, tried Chicago’s own Argo Tea, ran around downtown on St. Patrick’s Day, and realized that the suburbs aren’t so bad when they have swimming pools. With Christine and Gisella, I ventured to Castaways at North Avenue Beach, and never felt compelled to go again. I discovered the best noraebang in the city where I can taste Korea any time I miss it. These are girls who measure a day’s success by the amount of food they try and the number of people they meet. They broadened my horizons by expanding the places I visit, giving me the travel bug in my own city.

It’s unreasonable for us to expect friends to stay a long time, just as we shouldn’t expect cities to remain unchanged. All we can do is appreciate how these things have impacted us, and in turn, how we might have impacted them. Because of Stephanie, Heather, Christine, Gisella, and all the others who have come and gone from the city, Chicago is forever changed.