Writer’s block

Just a small-town girl

Adjusting to life in the big city is not as difficult as one might think

By Kristin Bivens

When people ask me where I’m from, I usually hold up my right palm, and point to an area where the wrist and the palm just meet, opposite my thumb. I am always surprised by the confused and “Is this girl crazy?” looks I get.

Doesn’t everyone know that Michigan is shaped like a mitten? In case anyone is wondering, Michigan is on the other side of Lake Michigan, and amazingly enough, it is shaped like a mitten.

On the other side of Lake Michigan, life moves a little slower than it does here in Chicago. At least in Niles, Michigan, it does. Since I have no way of showing you my right palm while trying to explain where Niles is, I’ll just say this: South Bend, Ind. Ring any bells? Yes, I am from just north of the Michigan-Indiana state line, also referred to as Michiana. In fact, the University of Notre Dame is about 30 minutes from my house. (If South Bend doesn’t get them, the University of Notre Dame always does.)

I know it may sound like the area from which I come has the potential to be a hopping place, what with South Bend and Notre Dame so close by. However, it is not. It is a quaint, small Michigan town where there is absolutely nothing to do. That’s why Chicago, to me, to us small-town folk, seems like an entirely different country.

In Niles, the only public transportation that I have ever seen is “Dial-A-Ride.” Wal-Mart is where we hang out when we get bored. And a movie ticket only costs $3.50. To do any major shopping, besides grocery shopping, a trip to South Bend is deemed necessary. For the most part, the streets are quiet and the “beep-beep” of cars is minimal.

The Niles main downtown strip is roughly three blocks of locally owned businesses, half of which are so obscure, I don’t know why anyone would ever shop there. For example, there is a doll shop and some wedding dress place with dresses that my mom might’ve worn back in 1983. The Niles daily newspaper is mostly filled with classifieds, because, let’s face it, nothing ever happens.

I probably sound like a girl scorned by her small-town upbringing, but I am not. In fact, I might forever be a small-town girl at heart, despite the love-hate relationship I have with my own small town. But Chicago, well, it’s Chicago. Plain and simple.

What’s ironic to me is, I had never really been a frequenter of Chicago before I moved here for college. I visited a couple times with friends, but I always felt out of place. The buildings were so overwhelming, and I was just this awkward little girl. I didn’t belong in such a busy place. Then, I guess it must’ve been sometime late in my freshman year of college (I was a community college girl for two years), that I realized I wanted to get out of Michigan, out of Indiana, and go somewhere where opportunities were endless. The best place I could think of was Chicago.

When I moved here last year, I was so ready for a new beginning that Chicago fit me like a glove. I realized, despite years of doubt, that I wasn’t just a small-town girl. I wasn’t a fish out of water in this big city. Somehow, I fit in perfectly with the big shots, the locals and the dreamers. I had the walk down, the “I am walking with a purpose” walk, that everyone in Chicago seems to practice. I wasn’t threatened by Chicago. I was welcomed by Chicago.

Perhaps what I love most about Chicago in comparison to my hometown is that Chicago is always alive. Someone somewhere is always doing something. At 2 a.m. there are still some people walking the streets. There are some places that are still open. Back home, pretty much the only thing open at 2 a.m. is Wal-Mart. (And I highly advise against going to Wal-Mart at 2 a.m. Only the creepers are at Wal-Mart at 2 a.m.).

Life is just more exciting in Chicago, even if you are sitting at home alone. Just knowing that there are millions of people around can make you feel just a little less lonely. It is comforting to know that somewhere in the city there is someone just like you, sitting there, looking out their window. When I do that back in Niles, all I realize is how boring the town actually is.

All in all, small towns and big cities like Chicago each have their charms. In Niles, we make our own fun. In Chicago, the fun is already there.

Click here for more Writer's Block