Experiencing Chicago as a Tourist, by Jenna Harms

These past few weeks, I have been a tourist in the city of Chicago. There have been many touristy activities that I have been a part of but it has really helped me gain an appreciation for the city. I had a friend visit me on President’s Day and we went on an adventure to Chinatown and walked around and enjoyed some authentic Chinese food. We then went to the top of the Hancock and had dessert while enjoying a great view of the city. After that we enjoyed a walk to Navy Pier.

While it has not been entirely warm here, I try to take advantage of the warm days as best as I possibly can even when warm means that it is like 35 degrees outside. I have also been to some awesome theater events through the Chicago Semester fine art events option. In two weeks I got to go to Chicago the Musical which was really cool to go to because of its roots in Chicago. We also were given the opportunity to go the production called Heartbeat of Home which had Irish dancing that was phenomenal. It was great to get to see this production so close St. Patrick’s Day.

Speaking of St Patrick’s Day, Chicago has some cool events that happen that weekend. They are known for the dying of the river.  I attended this event with a couple of friends. It was fun to cheer on the guys pouring dye into the river and watching it turn a bright green. After that we ventured over to the parade for a while and heard some great marching bands and saw men in skirts.

I also was given the opportunity to attend a Bulls game at a discounted price through Chicago Semester. It was so much fun to get to go and watch a team that I had grown up hearing about. I had never been to a professional sporting event before so this was great.

I have gotten to do many other things this semester but these last two weeks have been jam packed with activities that have given me a better view of the city. My internship is still going great, each and every day I learn something new and get to experience a new thing.