Reminiscing

Flipping my calendar to April this morning reminded me that it's been four years since I moved to Chicago. It's amazing how quickly time flies!

Previous to my moving down here, I'd graduated from college and moved back in with my folks (temporarily) to save up so I could move somewhere more permanently. I had set my sights on Chicago and so I did some job hunting and apartment finding, and on April 1, 2005, I made the trek to my new place of residence (just north of the city). Perhaps because it was April Fools Day and the Universe wanted to have a little fun at my expense, or perhaps I just have lousy travel luck... but it was an eventful beginning.

It was an overcast, rainy evening and we'd been delayed by traffic so we came into town more than an hour behind schedule. Once we had arrived, we discovered that all my new roommates had gone out for the evening, and I didn't have a key to get in. Happily, I did have their cell phone numbers and was able to get a hold of one of them without too much trouble, and they weren't too far away and we arranged to meet up for a key exchange. So, armed with their verbal directions, I set off in the unfamiliar territory to seek out a person I'd never met to borrow her key so I could unload my things. All that accomplished, I waved good bye to my folks and went inside to organize my room. Eventually, I felt settled in enough that I fell into bed and thus passed my first night in Chicagoland.

However, very early the next morning I awoke to a car horn blaring outside my window and a VERY angry neighbor screaming about how rude we house-full of girls were to park our cars on HER side of the driveway, obstructing her way and keeping her from getting to her early morning yoga class. Yep, it was my car and yep, I got an earful the entire time I was moving it out of her way. Hehe.. what an auspicious beginning :)

But 2005 was a great year; there could be no better introduction to the city. I met a fabulous group of people, many of whom became very dear friends and though we spent much of our time playing in the northern suburbs, we made sure to make good use of the excitements found downtown as well (yay for photo-scavenger hunts and my first experience with the Taste of Chicago - and alligator). That summer was awesome.

Eventually, I passed out of my half-year sublet a month early (not being a fan of conspicuous drug-doing roomies, I passed my lease off to one of their like-minded friends) and moved in with a good friend of mine from church, to finish up a sublet with her out in the northern suburbs.

Fall in the northern suburbs was a little quieter than the summer; the weather cools and students return to their respective schools. But we found things to do (Mmmm.. apple picking and fresh apple pie) and life was very good. However, my wonderful roomie left me for brighter horizons and so, since my commute was pretty nasty, in early 2006 I decided to leave the distant suburbs and move to Chicago Proper.


Life in Logan Square was a little bit of an adjustment for me; it was just a little louder and more busy than I'd previously been accustomed to, but again I had scored a super roommate and I was counter commuting and, for the most part, things were wonderful. Plus, living within the city limits made it easier to check out whatever exciting thing was going on downtown, and that was a definite bonus.

However, I was still working in a suburb just north of Chicago and it seemed like I spent more time up there than at home.. so when my roommate moved to Georgia in the summer of 2007, I decided I'd had enough with the subletting and roommate abandonment and, in June, I got my own place in that suburb just north of Chicago - back where I'd originally begun. It was a cozy little studio; my very own little place in this big city. Small though it might have been, that apartment was good to me :)

Ironically though, just before I moved up there, I got a new job downtown so the location wasn't as prime as it might have been (I could have walked to work if I hadn't switched jobs). Still, the move allowed me to take the train to work which saved me wear and tear on my car (and I've been known to be pretty rough on my cars), and I really liked the neighborhood and was happy with the change of scene and I stayed there until November of 2008 when I married my honey and moved in with him, in Logan Square.

Yep, four years to the day.. there's been some excitement and tumult, but still, I love this city.