Derive Avec Chien

Technically I completed this Derive alone, but I was accompanied by my boss's dog, Charlie. By bringing a dog with me on a Derive I could displace myself but also see how my experience with my environment would change due to the dog. For instance, I talked to people I ordinarily wouldn't have talked to when they asked me questions about Charlie.

My experience walking in an urban environment was altered because Charlie drew attention. I also had to change my path at times to accommodate him. At the very least, I had to think about how our environment would be experienced by him and whether or not we could continue wandering in a certain direction.

Start:



We began our Derive at a dog park in River North on Rush Avenue. Charlie isn't very sociable so we were forced to leave for a walk instead.

We headed North and eventually turned East on Superior. We continued to walk East.



We eventually came to a more residential area. There was this one gorgeous building made out of pale stone. I love seeing the variety of apartments in Chicago. This building was pretty new, but still very attractive. It must cost a fortune to rent/buy. I snapped a quick photo as we passed by.



Throughout this whole walk, Charlie occasionally stopped to pee. Or sniff. Or pretend to pee and then do a fake-out sniff. He was pretty sedated today, which was odd because usually he's a livewire.

I chose to wander according to where Charlie was pointing in addition to wandering randomly. I would drift, and if Charlie would correct me, I'd just go where we were headed. This resulted in a lot of walking in a straight line. It was interesting seeing the scenery change little by little, but I think I will take a more curving path for my next Derive.

To continue documenting my route, I snapped a picture at Superior and Orleans.



After the cute building, but before Orleans, we came upon the Chicago Central Hearing Facility. There were some people hanging around outside and walking towards it. I wondered what they were doing there and why they were called into court. I didn't take a picture. I probably could have, but I thought it might be rude.

Next, we came to a Pilates studio. It was very S&M-looking because of all the straps and equipment. Probably not the look they were after. Especially given the neighborhood and appearance of the people coming out. They were very polished looking. On this same building were little stones with each letter of the alphabet carved into it. I should have taken a picture. THey went all the way up the building and I thought it was a fun, unexpected detail.

Next, we came to the lighting store called Luminaire at Chicago and Franklin (by the Chicago Brown line stop). I LOVE this store! I've never gone in, but their lighting designs are so beautiful. They are bright and a lot are made with white paper or cloth. I peered through and took a picture. It's mostly just Charlie and I in the reflection.



At the street before Dearborn, some nice women on a patio asked some questions about Charlie. They asked his breed and said that they had thought he was a Yorkshire Terrier (which he is). They asked if he is the Toto dog. He's not, but I was able to correctly answer this question and say that the dog who played Toto was in fact a Cairn Terrier. They were very pleased by Charlie and very friendly. If Charlie weren't my 'in', I never would have talked to them, just because I was a stranger walking down the street.

We eventually made it the the future home of the Poetry Foundation (Dearborn & Superior)! I was excited because I love the quotes from poems on the construction fence. Charlie was not. He must not be a poetry fan because he peed on the fence. Unfortunately I missed this photo-op.



We continued on and eventually wandered all the way to Michigan Ave. Now, I've been here countless times, but never with a dog. So this was a fun experience! I felt like a tourist AND a local, simultaneously. The dog obviously marked me as a local, since I would probably be walking him in the area of my home. But I also felt like a tourist since I was ambling down the crowded sidewalk just to do it.

Of course I had to take a picture of him standing on the bridge by the river. This dog is like a stuffed animal. He was all for it. Actually, he was mostly confused.



I LOVE the riverwalk, so we turned right on Wacker and headed west. We stayed on the above sidewalk part because Charlie was walking briskly. We continued ambling along.

I noted the people passing and how they interacted with the buildings, the wide sidewalk, and the river. I love tourists. They are always so wide-eyed and so many are just in awe of the city. Even though I live here, I want to try to preserve these qualities. I love finding the small details in buildings and the hidden aspects of the city. It fascinates me how the layout can affect people's lives in a variety of ways, ranging from quality of life, which part of the city they visit, even to small things like choosing to venture down an alley or not.

As we passed Marina City, Charlie's boss called me. She wanted us to meet her since she had just gotten off of work. She works at the Board of Trade, so we walked west a few blocks and eventually met her at LaSalle and Wacker.

Bottom Line:

I tried not to think about anything and just walk. At first this was easy, but this feeling lasted for about 2.5 seconds. I instantly started analyzing little details about how the area I was in made me feel. I looked at details such as the people's supposed socio-economic status and the types of buildings in the area. Of course, these estimates could have been entirely incorrect.

I realized that as much as our surrounding impact us, this relationship is a two-way street. We project so much into our environment and add our own judgements into our space. These exchanges influence where we go, what we are willing to do and in what area, and how we interact with people. These are just a few of my thoughts, during this experience. I would definitely like to do it again. I had previously done a "sunset derive", but ALL the photos were deleted :( I would really like to do a "sunrise derive" or a "biking derive".