Sunday, October 17, 2010

Things I know...

So, I've been in Chicago for about a month now, and just like any other city, it has its own individual characteristics - its own personality. So here are five things I know:

- Street sweeping is a trick. Now, you can park for free on our street, but if you can avoid getting a parking ticket for an entire month, then you, my friend, should be spending your time at the casino. The city posts these "street sweeping" signs one day before they street sweep. And since there's a scarcity of parking spaces around here, you often find yourself parking a few blocks away. So unless you have ample time to spend strolling to your car each day (which, I conveniently do), you are bound to get a ticket at some point or another. Oh, and one more thing - the parking enforcers (a.k.a. Meter Maids) wear bright yellow jackets with the word "revenue" boldly enscribed on the back. Need I say more.

- J-walking is a way of life. One quick way to tell a tourist from a city-dweller is to watch them as they cross the street. Out-of-towners wait for the walk signal and cross at appropriate crosswalks. Chicago-ans cross whenever and wherever the heck they want.

- The land of B.Y.O.B. Yes, it really is what you think it is. You can bring your own bottle/beer/booze to a whole slew of restaurants for no extra charge. Three-buck Chuck? Yes please! (Don't judge me for my wine selection, I'm a grad student.)

- Deep dish pizza rocks. 'Nuf said.

- You can get your own grocery cart. Yes, it's true. You too, can be the owner of your very own collapsible grocery cart. It just so happens to be the best way to transport your groceries in the big city. And you don't even have to give up your parking spot. When I convince Luke that they're "cool," I plan on decorating mine with myriad colors and maybe even some sparkles.




A New Beginning

It was almost a year ago that we visited Chicago, not sure would the future would hold, but excited for new adventures. Talking about it now, the one thing that we learned from that trip is just how much bigger Chicago is than we had imagined.


And here we are, after a whirlwind two months of packing, moving, packing, moving, packing and for one final time (we hope!), moving. So as we explore our new city and see just what life has in store for us, we invite you to read our updates along the way.

Cheers from the Windy City!