Well, tomorrow we’re off to Chicago for the weekend–for the third time this year. My friend Colleen is getting married. It’s a nice time of year to visit. I’m sure there’s going to be some cool Halloween nightlife events going on not to mention a few good meals at a few good restaurants.
I remember when I first moved to Chi-town back in 1995. Having grown up in Lost Angeles, I was totally enamoured by being in a real city (sorry LA, you’re not a city, you’re more like a ginormous suburb–deal with it). Ray had just moved into a condo in the Gold Coast on Dearborn and North right near North Avenue beach. I was so in love with living in a place where people actually walked and seasons actually happened that I wrote a song about it.
After ten years, I was no longer taken in by living in the city–any city for that matter. Ray and I missed the Southwest but didn’t wan’t to go back to LA so we decided to head out to the Middle of Nowhere, Arizona. No regrets on that one.
It’s nice to fly back to visit the old hood now and again. I have very fond memories of living there–especially being a full-time college student for the first three years and working for the Tribune. Every day I walked through the doors at Tribune Tower I was in awe at the fact that I worked in such a fantastic building. If you like architecture, you’ll love Chicago.
Ray always said that Chicago is a very livable city. He’s right. The funny thing is, as much as I’m excited to visit, I’m already looking forward to coming back.Â
Arizona is where I belong.Â
Found your blog through Homer’s. I now work in Chicago, but love your part of the country. Southeast AZ is one of my favorite places in the world. Next time you are here in town, check out the Nature Museum (right across Fullerton from the Lincoln Park Zoo) where I work.