A fleeting one-hour plane flight is all it took to reach my favorite place.  In a blink of an eye, I was already stepping off of the plane ready to begin another unforgettable adventure.  A gust of wind came pouring over my body attempting to throw me to the ground. This wind was always a special reminder of what city I was in… Chicago.   

Sitting in my uber, I looked out the window in search for all of the different ethnic neighborhoods that surrounded me.  I thought this city was so cool. I had grown up in a suburban area that was the farthest thing from diverse, so coming here always seemed like such an adventure! As I turned the corner of South University Avenue, I could see my brother standing there waiting for me.  I could feel his excitement racing from inside the car.  My brother was my best friend and this was the city where he was going to live for his four years in college, so how could it not be my favorite city to visit! He showed me everything.  We spent a day walking along the pathway of the Michigan River. We got to experience the waves that were crashing and even splashed off of the rocks into my face.  Of course my brother laughed at me and I laughed back.  We spent a few nights in the city and learned of all of the wonderful restaurants that we knew we had to try. We spent days around the campus, walking around and eating breakfast at his favorite diners.  Every time I had to leave my heart felt full of sadness. We would say “Until next time!” to keep ourselves from crying.

As most things came to an end, so did my fun adventures to Chicago.  My next trip to Chicago was one I would never forget.  This time was different. Instead of looking at the different neighborhoods that I was always so fascinated by, I stared outside of the window into a complete fog.  My eyes were filled with tears.  This time my brother was not waiting for me full of excitement.  This time, the only people waiting for me were the ones that would give me the worst news that I would ever have to receive. The news was that my best friend wasn’t going to make it. As I stood there heartbroken and lost, I knew that I wouldn’t let this ruin all of the wonderful memories I had in this city.  This city was apart of my brother’s relationship and me.  Without this city would be the loss of a million memories that I will cherish and carry with me forever.  I promised myself that this city would remain present in my life for as long as I lived.  I would continue to take adventures there and I would continue to remember the fun times we shared.  Chicago will be my favorite adventure until we meet again to make new ones.