By KARIMA FATIH
Iced caramel lattes and large fries with greasy bacon… yes, that is what I thought America would be. At least, that is what I dreamt that America would be.
It all started when I flew to New York— stupid overlays— for me to arrive in Chicago. Well, my first minutes on American soil weren’t the slayest… I forgot my luggage somewhere and I ran around JFK to find it and eventually, many trains, sprints, and misdirections later, found my gate !!!
After almost 24 hours of traveling, I finally landed in Chicago. I never knew elevators could have two doors… so imagine my surprise when I wait for a door to open, and it actually never does. The plot twist is that the elevator door opened behind my back and people waited for me to get out. Which I did after the extreme embarrassment of facing the wrong direction.
I met this lovely family of three that guided me through what the heck O’Hare was. They asked where I came from—as if I didn’t look American enough— I told them I was headed towards Beloit and fortunately enough they were going to Rockford. A million questions about Morocco later, I got on my bus and finally arrived to the room I would settle in for the next couple of months.
What do you mean a shared bathroom??? I would not classify this as funsies but oh do I hate having to shower with someone else raw dogging Beyonce’s last album. However, I like being able to catch up with my friends when we go to pee at the same time… you know the memes sliding underneath the bathroom stall walls.
On a higher note, machinery did not disappoint in Beloit. I must have spent 76 hours contemplating the drinks machine in the powerhouse… it was so crazy to me to have 4 flavors for each of the 98 drinks available, and for free ?? — well something has to make up for the American health care system I suppose…
Another machine I salute is the waffle one. I never thought one could want waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before first stepping into Commons. I don’t know if it’s the syrup or the fact that I can make waffle ice cream sandwiches that shocks me the most, but I am positively flabbergasted at the food variety and options at Commons.
Another point is how do restaurants in Beloit clock out before I CLOCK OUT OF WORK ?? every time I wanted to go to a café, I found it closed… oh, and this one time I spent my broke college student fortune in a restaurant in town, I had to scan a QR code to pay my bill with Apple pay. The transition from counting coins to shove in the bill case, to scanning QR codes in restaurants is a deep (amazing) culture shock.
Speaking of apple pay, I would like to cordially thank—or blame—Beloit for the free 6 months of amazon prime. It has me ordering funsies that I need, or mostly do not need…
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