Sweet Home, Chicago.

I have a great friend, we'll call her R, who loves stories.  Last night, I told her my story and she told me hers over her latte and my cup of tea.  It was lots of fun.  I thought it might be fun to share a portion of my story with you as well.  I'll start with my love for Chicago!!!  Thanks R for the inspiration and for your love of stories.

My mom likes to say that from the time I started talking I would talk about growing up and moving to a big city.  I grew up in a very rural setting.  The closest town was 450 and we had to drive about 15 miles to the closest school.  I loved to picture myself living in a high-rise with a cat and working 80 hours a week at some big-time corporate job.  In Junior High, I read about Chicago and the University of Chicago and was determined to go there for college.  After a few senior year detours, I got into UChicago and managed to get enough financial aid to actually be able to go.  (Sidenote: My parents' yearly salaries are less than a year's tuition at UofC.)

Once I arrived in Chicago my love for the city blossomed.  I knew this was the city for me.  At the end of my 3rd year, I met Mr. Wonderful but he lived in the burbs.  Visiting him in the burbs just cemented my infatuation for Chicago.  It took me (and God) awhile to convince him to move to Chicago instead of me moving to the burbs but eventually, Mr. Wonderful decided the city was the place to be.  So, after I graduated from college, Mr. Wonderful and I got married and found a great apartment in Humbolt Park.

Since then, we've moved every year.  From Humbolt Park to Pilsen to Rogers Park and finally to the South Loop.  It's been great to see the city of different angles... but my adoration of the South Loop started back in college when I'd take the #6 or #4 bus from Hyde Park to downtown and see the transformation of the neighborhood.  I started dreaming then of living in the South Loop.  Now, my dream is a reality.

I see myself living in the South Loop for a long, long time.  I want to raise my children here (none of which have been born yet).  The South Loop has been called the best neighborhood in Chicago to retire in so we'll see if that happens as well.  I see awesome things happening in the South Loop's future - awesome things that impact the whole world.  I'm excited to be a (small) part of the South Loop's story.

P.S. I'm hoping this summer to move into a high-rise.  :)