A run along Lake Michigan

A warm summer walk along Chicago’s lakefront may be all that’s needed for someone to fall in love with this city. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and, while overwhelming to some, there are places one might escape to feel comfortable and at peace. The Lakefront Trail is one of them.

After work today, I grabbed my iPod and exited my back door into the flourishing green of Lincoln Park. Those who know me well will testify to my near-hatred of running, but today I wanted nothing more than to be among the sunshine and energy of Chicago’s emerging summer. I made my way down the paths of the city’s largest public park, running among the seasonal flag football and softball leagues, under bridges and toward the beaches of Lake Michigan.

Across Lakeshore Drive, I picked up Chicago’s Lakefront Trail, a 12-mile treasure for runners, bikers and rollerbladers. The trail was crowded today, as it is most pleasant Chicago days, but somehow the elderly joggers, walkers and competitive skaters fell into a successful rhythm of openly sharing the path (and the experience) together.

Engraved checkerboards top cement barriers along one side of the trail, while cuddling couples watch the crashing waves of Lake Michigan along the other. Just off the path, children take in the final afternoon minutes by throwing rocks in the water and begging parents for more time to build sand castles. Bar-and-grills and walk-up refreshment stands rest among the sand, offering beachside burgers and ice-cold drinks to enjoy on a rooftop or as a grab-and-go snack.

There may be no stronger reminder of Chicago’s magnificence than feeling the light breeze off the water while standing small against the towering buildings that line this Great Lake. Chicago’s skyline engulfs its beaches in a way that seems to hug the lakefront. When standing just far enough from the city to see the skyline and close enough to the lake to realize the water’s strength, the vastness of the world becomes clearer.

I paused my run in an area where the land juts out in a such a way to see this entire picture and take in this exact vastness. With a good tune on my iPod, the sun still strong and my heavy breaths slowing to a more steady rhythm it all became clear. This is why I live here, I thought. This is why we all live here…for moments just like this.

To experience moments of absolute peace in life is, in my opinion, nothing short of a true blessing. I wanted to somehow freeze this moment on the lakefront – the musty springtime lake smell and the light breeze that rolled off the water, the sun still peeking bright through the high rises of the Gold Coast and the stillness I felt among all the activity around me. But instead I stood, watched, breathed and embraced how small I am in this big world we call life.

It’s amazing how in sync the movements of the world become once our own wheels stop turning so quickly.

When I finally made my way home, my music seemed to beat perfectly to the bouncing volleyballs and steps of the free-running dogs chasing balls through the park. Four geese watched me circle a pond, standing at a focused attention as I passed. It seemed everyone remembered Chicago’s greatness this day…even the singing birds who had returned home after a long winter away.