The Windy City Border

This weekend I went home for my sister’s Confirmation, and found myself sitting in a small coffee shop on the edge of the city of Chicago. This area, although nearly suburban, still displays many city like qualities. The cafe, at this point early on a Saturday night, still has many customers looking for a late caffeine fix to get through their day. Living on campus in Columbus, the coffee shops at this time are primarily students working on homework or studying with headphones in. Here, however, you can see the diversity of people coming in and out of the shop. Some people are in and out, still busy despite the time of the day. Others are enjoying the quiet environment, reading and listening to the soothing acoustic indie music playing over the speakers. Some people are grabbing coffee for multiple people, likely to enjoy it elsewhere at home. Then there is me, sitting awkwardly at the coffee bar observing everything that is taking place.

In front of me is one of the busiest streets/intersections in my neighborhood at home. I can not help but notice that there are both trucks and cars on the street. Some people are still driving work cars, while others are just driving erratically like many people do in this city. The peculiarity of this is the sharp contrast that exists between the outside and inside of this coffee shop. A large window pane is the only thing that separates the busy street with the quiet that is held within the coffee shop. The noise of the street is muffled, and I sit thankful for the several locations like this one that allow for an escape for the busy city life. People are inside enjoying phone conversations, reading, and homework that would otherwise be impossible without this somewhat isolated environment.