"My kind of town..."

Ever since I was five, I've always wanted to live in Chicago. I can remember thinking how amazing and fabulous it would be to live downtown, and that I would really be an "adult". Living in Chicago is still a goal of mine. I have a few friends that have recently graduated, and are going to be living in Wrigleyville while going to graduate school. I am so jealous of them! They get to live in a great neighborhood, and focus on going to school, and that's it. I wish I could just go to school full time and pretend like I'm still in college. I keep trying to tell myself that I'll be done with my MPH in May 2009, and I'm getting amazing experience by working in my field simultaneously. But it's so hard to talk to my friends who get to still get to act like college students. I don't know if living in Chicago will ever happen for me. After I graduate and complete my internship, I may head down to St. Louis to be with DJ. I haven't had to make too many difficult decisions in my life, and this will probably be the first big one. I really like STL, it's a cleaner and cheaper and small Chicago.

I just keep going back to the goal I had as a little kid. I always knew it would happen for me, and now I'm realizing that it may not work out. Most likely, I'll be doing my internship in Chicago next summer. My first choice is Planned Parenthood, and my second choice is the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. So that will be a good opportunity to spend some time in the city. For now, I can visit my friends and go to Cubs games, and pretend I live there on the weekends.

I don't want to stress out about it now, because it is awhile away. So I try and focus on the positives: I love my job, and the people I work with. I'm saving tons of money in rent by living in the suburbs. I'm close to other friends and family. I really like my school and am almost finished. And, I don't know...I can actually drive my car anytime I want, and not pay millions to park it in a garage?

Final Thought: Chicago, I love you. You will always be that exciting place with amazing neighborhoods and restaurants and shopping. You will always feel like "home" to me. And you will always be there, if I need to visit. : )