I had always wanted to work for Vogue. It may be clichéd. But ever since I saw “Devil Wears Prada,” I wanted to be Miranda Priestley, basking in her wealth and slipping on a pair of Manolo Blahniks every morning before leaving to produce the Taj Mahal of fashion publications.

When we signed up for visits to local publications, I picked Chicago Magazine, truthfully, not expecting much. My exact mindset could be described as, “Well I guess Vogue isn’t an option, so this is sufficient.” As the day approached, so did numerous weather reports indicating a heat advisory for Chicago. I tried to be excited for the trip, but I knew I would much rather watch movies all day in our 65 degree dorm.

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as we boarded the purple line train and headed to Michigan Avenue. The temperature outside felt like a blazing 108 degrees, and we had been sitting on the non-air conditioned train for no less than an hour. After 22 stops, the train finally came to a halt at Grand Avenue. All 26 of us stampeded out, walked up the steps and were immediately in the epicenter of the Windy City.

I was still sweating as we were stuffed into an elevator and ascended to the 11th floor of the Tribune Building, home of Chicago Magazine.

Hundreds of Chicago Magazine covers lined the walls. A secretary led us to a conference room, and we listened to different editors and writers talk about all of the different aspects of the magazine.

When speaking to us, one thing writer Bryan Smith pointed out was that at Chicago Magazine they were part of a staff. There was a sense of community among the staff at Chicago Magazine, a community which I realized I may not be in if I wanted to be a freelance writer for Vogue. Even though Miranda Priestley’s life was portrayed as luxurious, it also seemed lonely.

When I met fashion editor Nora O’Donnell, I like Chicago Magazine even more.

In that moment, my so called life plan changed entirely. One of the things I love most about working at my high school newspaper is that we are all on the same team, working together to create a great publication. I knew then that working for a publication like Chicago Magazine may be just what I had wanted all along: a pair of Manolos and a community.