I hopped on the L and dashed around the Loop, chasing any and all sunset city views that I could find. It had been so long since I last walked amongst crowds spilling over crosswalks, and I swooned at this urban Americana booming with life. In quarantine, I had longed to wander a big, bustling city once again, and Chicago felt electrifying. I didn’t have a destination in mind, but that was never my goal. I wandered anywhere that caught my eye, zigzagging through crowds and streets.
Daylight slowly seceded to the city lights, which illuminated this hot summer evening with a docile glow. I pulled myself aside for a photo and a pause along the river, taking inventory of the water, the bridges, the people, and the buildings; the cacophony around me. And for a sliver of time, it just felt right.