These buildings seem to stretch forever,
filtering the sunlight on the streets.
I walk, wind blowing past my face, trying to recall where I am supposed
to go. What street am I on, is
this the right way? Is that the
same Starbucks I passed before?
I continue on, hoping to spot that one
tall, silver building. I am
waiting for familiarity in signs and reflections, but there is no sign of
it. Part of me is afraid; the
other is excited to be free. Free
from restrictions of usual short cuts.
I tightly clutch my city map in a clenched fist. I want to look at it, but not in
public, as if eyes are watching me, categorizing me as a tourist. I don’t know if I should care or not.
Everywhere I look, makes me excited. I could live here; this could be my
city. My smile brimming from ear
to ear makes my cheeks hurt and my face cold, but I do not mind. It is a sweet reminder that I am living
my dream.
Finally, I see it.
That one tall, silver building is on the left side of the street. I run to the doors entrance, feeling
the warmth encircle me like a soft hug.
The smell of pumpkin coffee ~floats~ through the air. I have made it.
This narrative is very well written because it puts the reader directly in the shoes of the narrator. As I was reading this post, I could picture myself lost and overwhelmed in a huge, bustling city. I was able to imagine myself trying to find my way and make sense of my bearings in an unfamiliar place. Despite the feeling of being lost, I also felt the excitement of finally being in a place that I’d only read or dreamed about. I felt the same bewilderment and excitement that the narrator elicits when I went to Los Angeles for the first time. It was overwhelming and amazing all at once; it was a very surreal experience. I can tell that the narrator feels the very same way about his own experience in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteThe video by the Killers at the end of the post really matched the theme and feel of the narrative. I ended up playing the song and then re-reading the text. I think that the author of the narrative should have considered putting a link of the video before the text instead of at the end in order to maximize the experience of the reading because the song really puts the text over the top.
The pictures are a great compliment to the text. I especially like the picture with the lights suspended in the air because it adds to the magical and surreal feeling of being lost in a huge, beautiful city.
There are two text effects that I particularly enjoyed. The first was where the narrator underlines “…Starbuck’s I passed before?” & the second is where the narrator strikes through the words “Part of me is afraid.” I like the first text effect because it seems to add emphasis on the frustration you feel when you’re lost and you pass the same thing more than once. I especially like the second text effect because it shows that the narrator is choosing not to focus on the part of him that is afraid. These text effects are subtle, but they make all the difference to me.