Still Settling In

I've been in Chicago for a few months and I'm getting into the swing of 'things'. The first few weeks were exhausting, mostly because I didn't know where I was a lot of the time. For some reason there are several 6 way intersections in my neighborhood. Poor road design and confusing - or non existent - signage compounded my terrible sense of direction.

During those hazy weeks I also spent a lot of money. The 'setting up' costs of living in a city are pretty high and difficult to anticipate. I was aided by a generous grant from the Bank of Mommy. If I could do it again, I would've rented a van or truck, got furniture from Salvation Army and gotten a moving service to help get stuff up the stairs to my apartment. It's still cheaper than buying new, low quality furniture.

The other thing I noticed upon my arrival is the stark socio-economic and racial divisions in Chicago. It's kind of like being on campus: There are lots of different groups in close proximity, but the groups rarely intermingle, and when they do its often awkward.

It's pretty tough to find meaningful engagement across difference in Chicago. The first few weeks here I spent a lot of time trying to see which neighborhoods I felt most comfortable in, and I was shocked to realize just how hostile entire parts of town can be to black and brown peoples.

As someone who presents as 'Black' I've felt most comfortable in the West and South Side - where I work doing prisoner re-entry stuff. Otherwise, I'm often the only person of color in the restaurant/conference/bar/party/lounge.

I've been pretty conditioned to entertaining stupid and offensive questions from well-meaning white people (the worst kind). Luckily, my workplace is primarily filled with women of color and its nice to not have to debate the existence of racism. There are a lot more comfortable, safe and productive conversations around racialized oppression. That's perhaps the biggest and most satisfying difference from going to Princeton; I don't have to defend my life experiences to the same people who are actively oppressing me, my friends and family.