quick comparison

right now, i am sitting in argo tea in downtown chicago, right by where i go to school.

approximately a year ago, give or take a few days, i was sitting in this exact same argo tea, full of excitement, anticipation and nothing short of a deep, tingly thrill.  so, i thought it would be beneficial to do a quick, somewhat uninteresting, comparison as a prelude to my official "i've been here for one year!!" blog that will be written in a month and a few days... can you believe it...?

comparison:

context
year ago: i was finished with summer program planning sessions and busyily typing away, emailing my internship site, planning my classes, doing everything they just told us in the previous meeting.

today: i'm waiting for my classmate to arrive so we can work on our class project for the child trafficking seminar.  our goal is to address the gaps in protections and social services available to domestic workers.

outfit
year ago: jeans, my best "what-i-thought-was-city-casual-but-really-had-no-idea" top, hair nicely done, trying to look "cool-but-not-trying-to-look-like-i'm-trying-to-look-cool".

today: exercise clothes.  the back of my tank top is soaked in sweat because i biked.  my hair is soaked in sweat because i biked.  my level of care = not too high.

drink
year ago: i don't remember what kind.  but i remember i thought it was the most "big city" thing every!

today: hibiscus chiller.  why?  naturally decaffinated, iced, fruity.

view
year ago: facing the window, gaping at every odd outfit and puffy-fluffy dog that passed my way.  everyone looked so "big city".

today: the back of a man's head.  he's in a suit.  could be a loyola law student.  could be a job interviewee.  could be in hotel management.  could be a child trafficker.  could be my long-lost cousin.  he appears to be latino.

scent
year ago: probably ralph lauren romance

today: my sweat.  and a bit of degree body spray that clung on four miles ago.

. . .

beneath these minute differences is a different person, paradigm, knowledge base, vocabulary, goal orientation, objects of affection, cardiovascular system.

and the people around me just think i'm a sweaty girl who is doing her homework. 

if we only knew.