New life: Love

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my life here in Chicago yet? Just thought you'd like to know.

Contrary to the tone of my last post, I love just about everything life has to offer me here.

• I love my apartment complex and the access to racquetball and a gym to help blow off steam.
• I love taking the train to work, having a chance to relax on my commute rather than sit in traffic. It gives me a chance to read and get absorbed into my music.
• I love finally being in the same city with (some) people on my account teams. It makes all the difference in the world seeing people face to face.
• I love the opportunities I have to build the life I want here...opportunities that either didn't exist in Cleveland, or ones that I was being held back from, for one reason or another.
• I absolutely LOVE that I have friends in this city already. Skydiving friends, friends from college and high school that I've already reconnected with. I love having solid friendships in my back yard.
• I love the availability of yummy foods on every corner. Between the Italian Delis and readily-available sushi, I'm in heaven. Though I still have to try out some of these cupcakes I've heard so much about.
• I love the shopping. The outlet malls. Even though I'm not much of a shopper, it's so great to have options should I need them.
• I love being back in the Midwest where people are, in general, friendly and not as closed off as they are in Cleveland. I've yet to hear anyone say or act as if they have enough friends.
• I love that for the most part I've been able to quickly fall into a routine. It gives me structure during the week, something I constantly craved throughout my inability to settle in when I lived in NE Ohio.
• I love that people here care about hockey and basketball just as much as football. These are sports I missed watching with people who get it. Texas and Ohio were very much football states.
• In that same breath, I love that I'm out of Buckeye country...not so much that there aren't Buckeyes around, but because there are Spartans around too. There's a special connection among us Spartans.
• I love the abundance of photography opportunities. I can't wait to do some more exploring.

Those are just the off-the-top-of-my-head things. I've never been more excited about building a life in any of the cities I've lived in before. I've never felt more at home than I do here. I love my new life here. Just thought I'd share.

Cheers!

-A