The sky was a deep shade of dark purple and the sun wasn’t visible anymore. I could feel the breeze coming from the lake, even through my sweater. My family and I were standing in line to go on the Ferris wheel, which is one of the most famous places that Chicago is known for. The Ferris wheel had just been remodeled so we were excited to see what improvements were made. It had always been a tradition for us to go on it yearly. We have done this since I can remember.
Finally, it was our turn to get into the cart. I felt my stomach knot itself like when you’re about to go on a rollercoaster. The doors were shut and we began to go up. As always, my mind was thinking up different scenarios in which something could possibly go wrong, I could fall to my immediate death. I looked out the window and we were suddenly already halfway up. I started to forget all those negative thoughts and replaced them with excitement!
When we reached the top, everything seemed so small underneath. The bright lights of the buildings looked like twinkling stars on a dark sky. The view of the skyline was breathtaking and so very beautiful. I felt a sense of calmness wash over my whole body and I was at peace. I know that’s not something that’s often heard of about Chicago, most things that are heard are about the violence and danger. That’s not everything that Chicago is made up of, our city is also filled with beauty like on the Ferris Wheel. Of course I was taking pictures of the city because I am just like any other social media addict.
As we started to go down, I thought about how beautiful and unique Chicago is and how I sometimes take that for granted. Even though I had gone on the Ferris Wheel a hundred times, every time it’s a new experience and it never fails to amaze me even more. Me and my family kept talking about our past experiences here and what we were going to do after.
The sky was now completely dark and the city lights were brighter than ever, almost blinding. It seemed like the more time that passed the more wonderful Chicago became. It is just one of the many things to love Chicago for, it will never disappoint you. There is always something new to love and admire about this city.
As we reached the bottom, I felt a bit of sadness because it was already over. Those fifteen minutes now seemed like just a few seconds. When we got out, there was already another big line waiting to go in. The people smiled at us and we smiled back. On the way home, I was already bugging my parents about when we were going to come back to the Ferris Wheel. I couldn’t wait to feel the excitement and adrenaline all over again.
From the 826CHI Student Publication: A Flower Blooming in the Dark