1 month done! I feel like I'm an official Chicago resident now because of the following: I know the main streets, I know how to use the basic transportation systems, and I don't walk around looking confused and lost like a tourist anymore! YAY!
Things at work are going well- I'm treating more and more patients everyday. I seriously would say the highlight of everyday is the interactions I have with people. I absolutely love the variety of patients I have. One woman is an acrobat and she specializes in the trapeze and acrobatic rope. I got super pumped the other day when she said they have beginner classes and I'm considering doing them because that would be SO AWESOME! Another patient is a wife of an X-chicago Bears football player. She's a tennis player and we get to talk about tennis and work on tennis focused drills and I LOVE IT! Another patient is a Chicago cop and he LOVES to tell stories about all the crime in Chicago and it's entertaining to listen to but also slightly scary because it turns out that Chicago is really dangerous!!! Everyday we hear about at least 7 more people getting shot in Chicago. It's really crazy to live in a place with so much crime! The joke at the clinic is that I've had 2 of the 3 "welcome to chicago" events happen: 1) getting hit on the road by a car while biking 2) getting my car broken into and 3) getting shot at (the last one hasn't happened and hopefully never will!) I've seriously had so many patients that come in and have been seriously injured by being hit by a car- either while walking across a crosswalk or while biking! I am thankful that although 2 of the 3 have happened that I'm okay and I view them all as good little reminders to be careful! Most days here I feel like I'm in Spain again with the amount that I get "cat called" on the streets. It is a daily occurrence to get whistled at or yelled at at least a dozen times walking around my neighborhood. Some of the things people say is so ridiculous- one of my favorites from this week was "HOT HONEY" like really? If they're trying to win me over they're definitely not doing it effectively! I was thoroughly surprised when I was even walking with a guy on the street talking and you think that then the creepers would leave you alone if you're talking to another guy but that wasn't the case and the creepers kept whistling and honking!
Sorry I know I just complained about Chicago for a while but now I'll state something positive about the city. I love all the free events in Chicago- they have free concerts and movies in Millenium park all the time which I really enjoy taking advantage of with my friends here. This past week we went to the movie Chicago which was pretty fitting based on our geographical location!
I also had a new fun experience last week when I went to a speakeasy. I had never heard of them before moving here but people kept talking about them and I was confused what they were referring to. It turns out that its a nice "underground" cocktail bar with lots of really fun drinks. We went to one in a hipster area and the mood and lighting was super fun.
I feel like I'm not only learning a lot about life but I'm learning a lot about my faith. I am really trying to focus on having a constant convo with God. It's SO HARD. I often feel myself missing my friends and life from Iowa City as well as feeling overwhelmed about the stress of working with my boss and all the other unknowns about the city of Chicago but I keep reminding myself that I am on this adventure with God and all I need to do is just hold his hand, keep talking to him, and keep trusting him.
Psalms 37 "Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this: he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...The lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him, though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord unholds him with his hand."
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