Big risks give extravagant rewards
Nick Kuras Period 1
Background information
Journal
Nick Kuras
March 30
Period 1
Day 1:
I had recently graduated from college, which gave me the idea to change what I was doing. As a child, my family rarely left the state of Massachusetts. I even went to college in Massachusetts. I don’t know how I got the crazy idea to move halfway across the country all alone. Well, I planned on moving with one of my friends from college, but he backed out at the last second, realizing the severity of the decision. My first day was exhilarating. I had a lot to take care of, and I was exhausted from the flight. I stayed at my colleague's friend's house, since that was the only place I had to stay in Chicago. He slept at his girlfriend’s house for a couple of days, giving me a minute amount of time to find and apartment. I didn’t bring much, only a single suitcase, the clothes on my body, and little money. What I needed to do was find an apartment, and a job pretty soon. I already missed my friends and family back home. I fell asleep pretty early that day, getting little done.
Day 4:
Today was the day to move out. I had found a small apartment to stay at, and I was still searching for a job. At this time, I was as lonely as I had ever been. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know where anything was, and I nearly gave up and moved back home. My new apartment was very small; there were only 3 rooms: living room/bedroom/dining room, small kitchen, and one bathroom. I was hoping to move out very soon. I found another problem on my way to bed: I forgot to bring a pillow. What I did instead was stuffed a pillowcase with old clothes. Chicago wasn’t as much fun as I had hoped.
Day 8:
I finally found a job. I started working at a bar a couple of miles away from my apartment. At home, I had been a bartender before, so I knew what I was doing. Also, I started making friends with some of my neighbors. There are a lot of nice people in my neighborhood. I started communicating with my family more, which made me feel better. I’m starting to explore the extravagant city around me. At this time, I finally started to adapt.
Day 20:
Chicago is the best city in the world. I have many friends now, and I feel like a real part of the community now. I’m now working at a second bar, and nearly have enough money to move to a bigger apartment. There was a lot for me to do here, and I got used to being away from my family. Chicago has many opportunities, and I wasn’t going to let any of them get away from me.