chicago’s 48-hour smell and that weird air conditioning

today i woke up to that weird mix of sun and clouds. it’s like the sky is trying to decide if it’s happy or not. i just checked and it’s 21.94 out there, which is like that cozy, not-too-hot thing. hope you’re into layers but don’t get sweaty. i sweat like a pig in this humidity. 36%? yeah, that’s not a typo. someone told me the humidity here is just the city’s way of reminding you to hydrate or die. i didn’t hear that from a textbook. i heard that from a guy in a soaking wet t-shirt outside a 7-eleven. he was yelling about ‘the clouds being too heavy to handle’ before vanishing into a passing taxi. probably just thirsty for a smoothie.

anyway, let’s talk about neighbors. if you get bored, there are other places not too far off. like, say, the lake or something. i heard that from someone who lived in a basement apartment for three years and still doesn’t own a plant. their ghost probably haunts the elevator. i don’t know. i’m here in a place where the worst neighbor is the guy who plays bagpipes at 7 a.m. every day. i heard that from a drunk at a bar who also claimed the bagpiper was a ‘serious artist.’ i don’t believe that. i believe he’s just bad at life.

reviews here are all over the place. i saw a post on tripadvisor that said ‘this coffee shop is a cult. do not enter.’ another said ‘the street artist here is a scammer, but their work is so good, it’s worth the bribe.’ i don’t know if either is true. i heard that from a person who looked like they’d lost a bet with a machine. their review also mentioned the weather being ‘unpredictable like a bad breakup.’ which, honestly, is the most accurate thing i’ve heard all week.

let me show you where i’ve been.

this map is probably useless, but it’s the only thing i could find without crying. i also have three images to share. the first one is a lake so still you can see your reflection in the water, even if you’re touching it. the second is a bunch of trees that look like they’re judging your life choices. the third is just a huge body of water with clouds that seem to be holding their breath. i took screenshots because unsplash made me feel like a data miner.

< img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723147818352-48f7ec090057?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&w=1080&q=80" alt="a body of water surrounded by trees and clouds" width="100%">
< img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723147808698-761bd34087e2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&w=1080&q=80" alt="the sky is reflected in the still water of a lake" width="100%">
< img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1700123985459-dd6c62f424c8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&w=1080&q=80" alt="a large body of water surrounded by trees" width="100%">

i also went to a place called ‘the hole in the wall’ which is on yelp but not in any guidebook. someone said it’s run by a former circus performer who claims to have seen ghosts. i didn’t see ghosts. i saw a man in a moth costume selling hot dogs. i don’t know if that’s a ghost or just someone trying to market trauma.

if you’re here and breathing, you’re already winning. the city doesn’t care. the weather doesn’t care. your favorite snack doesn’t care. but you? you’re here. maybe because of that 4884597 number? or maybe because of that 1840007027? i don’t know. maybe it’s a code for something. maybe it’s just the temperature in celsius. either way, i’m done. i need coffee. badly. like, now. not later. not ever. just now.

p.s. if you’re thinking of coming here, don’t trust the weather app. it said 21.94, but it’s actually 22.53. i think it’s lying. i think it’s trying to get me to buy a sweater. or a drink. or a second thought.

links you might want: tripadvisor for the bagpipe guy, yelp for the hole in the wall, and a local forum that’ll probably tell you to leave. also, unsplash if you want to pretend you’re a programmer. you’re not. you’re a human. a messy one.

tags: travel, chicago, human, vibe, messy

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