“The thing about Chicago is that it really isn’t like any other place. The architecture and the layout of the city are the best. I’m from the Midwest, and consider myself a Midwesterner. I feel most at home there. I love California. I have great friends in California. I just have always considered Illinois to be home.”- Vince Vaughn

For starters I had to research and see the truth if late 90’s babies are “Millennials” or “Digital Teens” turns out 2004 is the start of “Digital Teens”. Thank the lord above for that cause I didn’t have a cellphone until I was a freshman unlike the “Digital Teens”. So lets kick it and rewind it to 1997 not that special of a year in The Windy City besides Dennis Rodman kicking a cameraman in the groin I mean that’s pretty cool to have happen the same year us Millennials where born. Generation X had its time they brought some great history in Chicago they gave us MJ and Bartman the two best things to happen to Chicago since that beautiful skyline emerged. Thanks for passing us the torch I feel we already have started off hot by making sure the Cubs stay ringless and we keep expanding more pizza restaurants.

I speak on behalf of all us teens, 20 year olds, and early 30’s growing up in Chicago has been the most fun, most exciting, even shocking time of our lives. If you can find a Chicago Millennial that thinks growing up here was alright then he probably takes mirror pictures at The Bean at Millennium Park. We grew up sledding in the winter and pool hopping in the summer wearing snap back hats ’09 through ’11 because being like our parents from Generation X was a cool trend at one point so s/o pops. We tend to be the labeled phone addicts and tech geeks like digital teens, but honestly like Generation X and their walkmans, bricks for phones and retro starter jackets growing up you had to have one. I walk around with friends and you see some one with a flip phone its like 1000 questions run through your head as you try to figure out what is going on.

If you didn’t cool off in lake Michigan or razor scooter through the blocks of the south side neighborhoods you did it all wrong. From White Sox games to riding in groups with 40 of your biker friends we had it all, us Millennials. We had the full lit up skyline, The ’05 world series and the Oprah Winfrey show yeah she was like on my TV non stop s/o momma White. Going downtown with mom growing up was the best thing ever because it probably meant you got out of school for the doctors and got to shop or eat with mom. We got older and our city stayed the same just a transition from constant Bulls banners hanging too constant Blackhawks banners too newer restaurants on the river, and glass boxes that let us dangle 1,200 feet in the air. We saw our city more and more as we grew older, and realized how beautiful lights can be at night. Some of us saw blurry lights half the time cause free music Monday’s for us Millennials was like Christmas every Monday in the summer. We grew into our high school years and beach days with McDonalds cups filled with pop haha! you parents have been fooled! Just kidding I never got to participate in those days because going the beach was a no-no until Junior year for me haha and I rarely had time do to Football 24/7. We began our trendy music taste and new styles in clothes, we grew out of the mom why did you buy me white socks to never wearing black socks out. We all got over sledding and playing in the snow all day, pegging cars all time, tornadoing alleys, and ding dong ditching the same house until they came out because running from people was the biggest adrenaline rush at our young age, besides jumping off the concrete ledge into frigid Lake Michigan waters.

Now this is my favorite part of being in THE GREATEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. Those cold burly winters every year that last forever and drive people nuts those are my favorite parts. You may disagree or agree with me on this one, and I know any girl reading this is going to say “WINTER IS THE WORST PART.” I hate when I hear that from people! I never wore boots I wore these CEOs with fur inside didn’t even cover my ankles they gave out during that blizzard in 2010 or 2011 R.I.P. Crocs! Going Downtwon growing up was awesome in the winter christmas lights every place you turned or any block you held your moms hand down was a new feeling. The Macy’s windows are a must see every year they take you back and make you feel like a kid again, if I don’t make my way to see those windows I feel like I am the Grinch and I can’t get in the christmas spirit. Chicago may have horrible, freezing, and snowing winters but it has to be the most beautiful sight when those trees are hanging with snow and lights wrapped all around them, and the trumpets hanging off the the buildings all around have little snow covering them it is just the little shit about this city that makes me love it more and more.

So yeah most of us Millennials are growing old and the last of us are all hitting frehsman year of college quite frankly most of us moved out of the big city. In all honesty though I feel all who didn’t choose that DePaul route or UIC that we just want to be away from the love of our city to make the homecoming every winter break, spring break, and summer break so much better, pretty much making us feel like a kid or even a tourist. Going to school in Southern California 2200+ miles away was a big step, but it has made me realize damn Chicago is the shit. Yeah palm trees, celebs, beaches, and the so called “greatest burger ever” In N Out is cool and all but it gets old. California people think like they are some Gods or something like nobody can rock sunglasses as good as them cause we don’t sit in 90 degree weather day. Let me tell ya I sit in my room and just count the days down till I am out this place. You may say I am crazy but I speak for the past, present and future generations nothing is better than Deep dish pizza, Chicago Sports teams who are constantly good and a super cool skyline every day that makes beaches and palm trees look decent, and maybe a one time a year visit away from all we have. So on behalf of us Millennial tech savvy, young rebels, fashion moguls, and sports lovers of Chicago who aren’t afraid of a chocolate covered Cicada from the Taste of Chicago, Thank you Chicago for the best childhood a kid could ask for.

And You Say Chi City.