Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Sweet Home Chicago

As I gaze upon Lake Michigan from my apartment in downtown Chicago, I'm filled with insatiable ambition and also a little trepidation. 

Such is the juxtaposition of emotion when taking a leap of faith in life, I suppose. I've lived in small towns my entire life and I'm coming from the smallest town I've ever lived in, Carroll, Iowa — just over 10,000 people — to the fourth-biggest city in the country. A booming metropolitan whose watery boarder accentuates its allure. And I came here to continue my pursuit of a dream. 

I want to be a prominent sportswriter in a city where it matters. Sports are king in Chicago. The greatest basketball player of all time did it here. Baseball's lovable losers play here; and they are on the brink of greatness. The hockey team is in the midst of a mini dynasty. And I'm likely only one of a couple thousand who care that there's also a professional soccer team here. This city is full of opportunity for anyone, but especially for someone in my field. 

Since the first time I visited here as a middle schooler with my family, I've been intrigued by it. I came here twice in college, the second time as a senior on my fraternity's semi-formal, and that was the moment I decided I wanted to live here. I loved everything about the city, minus the unrelenting winter. 

Freelancing for the Chicago Tribune won't occupy the amount of time my writing-centric life desires, so I hope to further utilize this space as a means of sharing thoughts on my journey here, but also to provide some insight and analysis on the Chicago sports scene as a I continue to entrench myself in it. 

Until next time, cheers. 

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