I can't believe it's been more than a year since my last posting; if I had waited a few more months, this "blog revival" entry would probably sound more like my obligatory Holy Week confession spiel: "Bless me blogger, for I have been remiss, my last whining was in September last year..." So many things have happened since.
I've been meaning to document my big move from the desert to the windy city but it seems (for me at least) the more there is to write about, the less writing I actually get done.
Those who have had to endure my complaints from day one in Arizona, know that it was a struggle for me to adjust to life in the land of cacti. It wasn't until I moved to Scottsdale and got that job at the paper that I learned to appreciate desert life. I was actually pretty set on spending a few more years in Scottsdale BUT when I got an offer to work in Chicago, near Pau and Tins, I just couldn't say no.
Getting the job in Chicago feels almost providential: a totally new industry that I had no experience in; a random find courtesy of Idealist.com. It was weird, my would-be boss seemed to love me and decided to hire me almost on-the-spot. It was really a flawless application process.
NOW, the actual move to Chicago -- the packing, storing, hauling of crap accrued from 3 years of bargain shopping -- was not quite as smooth. Thank God for Jeff, my ever reliable kargador and Dave, my co-driver on that 1,800-mile journey from AZ to CHI. I don't know how I would have survived without them!
I moved in February. It was FREEZING COLD. It would be that way -- dark and dreary -- for another two months, and for the first time, I honestly missed Scottsdale. I missed my warm and cozy apartment, just as I'm sure Pau missed her privacy -- I took over her living room for a good two months.
It was a blessing to be close to family, but I was pretty much set in my ways in Scottsdale; adjusting to a new city was more difficult than I imagined.
Fast forward a few months...Memorial Weekend to be exact, I reconnected with friends from Manila and for the first time in a long time, re-discovered the gift of friendship and alcohol. Inebriation aside, that weekend marked the beginning of my love affair with the Windy City.
I've been meaning to document my big move from the desert to the windy city but it seems (for me at least) the more there is to write about, the less writing I actually get done.
Those who have had to endure my complaints from day one in Arizona, know that it was a struggle for me to adjust to life in the land of cacti. It wasn't until I moved to Scottsdale and got that job at the paper that I learned to appreciate desert life. I was actually pretty set on spending a few more years in Scottsdale BUT when I got an offer to work in Chicago, near Pau and Tins, I just couldn't say no.
Getting the job in Chicago feels almost providential: a totally new industry that I had no experience in; a random find courtesy of Idealist.com. It was weird, my would-be boss seemed to love me and decided to hire me almost on-the-spot. It was really a flawless application process.
NOW, the actual move to Chicago -- the packing, storing, hauling of crap accrued from 3 years of bargain shopping -- was not quite as smooth. Thank God for Jeff, my ever reliable kargador and Dave, my co-driver on that 1,800-mile journey from AZ to CHI. I don't know how I would have survived without them!
I moved in February. It was FREEZING COLD. It would be that way -- dark and dreary -- for another two months, and for the first time, I honestly missed Scottsdale. I missed my warm and cozy apartment, just as I'm sure Pau missed her privacy -- I took over her living room for a good two months. It was a blessing to be close to family, but I was pretty much set in my ways in Scottsdale; adjusting to a new city was more difficult than I imagined.
Fast forward a few months...Memorial Weekend to be exact, I reconnected with friends from Manila and for the first time in a long time, re-discovered the gift of friendship and alcohol. Inebriation aside, that weekend marked the beginning of my love affair with the Windy City.
