If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably heard “End of Beginning” by Djo, widely known as actor Joe Keery. Users are using the song to share their “Chicago,” a place they reminisce about and associate good memories with.
Genius analyzes the trending audio’s lyrics “And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it / Another version of me, I was in it / I wave goodbye to the end of beginning” as a reference to Keery’s days in Chicago starting out in his career before he became famous. TikTok users have been posting videos of these lyrics using clips of a city that means a lot to them.
My “Chicago” is Toronto, where I’ve called home for the past two and a half years. It’s the place I’ve come to miss whenever I’m away from it.
There are many things I love about this city, from the obvious hustle and bustle of the downtown core to the serenity of the East and West ends. I love walking to Riverdale Park to watch the sunset with my roommates at the first sign of spring. Spending my weekends strolling through Kensington Market searching for the best vintage pieces is my idea of a perfect day. And finding a film set in my neighbourhood while walking home from class will never not be exciting to me.
Year-round Toronto is full of many special moments. The city is abuzz with TIFF in early September as a new school year is kicking off. March and April bring forth precious moments when the weather is strangely warm, and everyone is out and about as positive energy breezes over the air.
I never run out of things to do here. I can count on the fact that something is always happening somewhere or there’s something I’ve wanted to try. I doubt I’ll ever get tired of trying coffee at a new cafe or heading out for a walk with no destination.
It’s impossible for me to pick just one of my favourite things to do in the city that illustrates my love for it. Maybe it’s eating mouth-watering sliders at Pennies or reading a book in Grange Park. Perhaps it’s attending a concert at the Danforth Music Hall or catching some sun at Woodbine Beach. No matter what I’m doing, I’m thankful to be doing it in Toronto.
Everything about the city around me constantly reminds me of how grateful I am to be here. It’s strange to think that I could call a city I didn’t grow up in home, but Toronto is.