Wow. I am a true Chicagoan.

Today on the bus, there was a blonde woman sitting there, looking very scared. She acted in a way that screamed "tourist". I overheard her talking to someone else on the bus and she mentioned that she had moved here a week ago Sunday and this was her first trip on the bus. She was scared she was going to miss her stop. She said where she was living, and I told her I was right next to her and I'd tell her when the stop was.

The look on her face as she studied everyone who got on the bus. The way she was super friendly to everyone. All of it was annoying to me for a little bit, until I recognized why. She acted the way I did when I first moved here, scared shitless to be in a city this size. She made me remember how horrible it was to be here for the first year or so. Not really knowing anyone but those I was living with, not knowing my way around a city that can be very scary in places. All of those things were brought back up within me, and once I recognized it, I started smiling.

Here I was, the old pro, guiding someone around.

It just made me smile.

I hope she finds her way into an amazing set of friends. I hope she feels comfortable in her surroundings and finds her way around quickly.

It was fun to be put back in that mindset, if only for a brief time on the bus.

And again, it's amazing just how far I've come.