After sleeping in a bit for recovery, I knew I had to get my office up and running. First order of business was getting an additional monitor. Quick internet search revealed a Staples within walking distance downtown. Strapped on a backpack and headed out. Now, for normal folk, I don't think you understand how novel this idea of walking to a store is. But, it's just something we don't do in Los Angeles. Walking is bad enough but carrying something? Pshaw! Thankfully it was a nice day and since it was pretty early in the day, it was quiet out.
I had tickets for the Sunday Matinee at the Chicago Symphony. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra wouldn't be playing, but Hilary Hahn, a renowned violinist, would be playing. Hilary Hahn came on the classical music scene in her teens as a violin prodigy. And over the years, I've seen her in concert a number of times. Now in her early thirties, I'm very impressed to still see progression in her ability. Her tone is amazing and she has that certain energy that obviously comes from her loving what she does. I had booked these tickets based on her and wasn't even sure what the program was.
To my delight, it was a very intimate format of just her and a piano. In the classical music world, this is a rarity. Such a grand venue can accommodate a full orchestra, and they usually take full advantage. However, the program revealed that this was quite purposeful. Hilary Hahn is a big fan of the single violin/piano format, which is not in vogue currently. And in effort to bring back the format, Hahn had commissioned 26 new works from contemporary composers for a violin and a piano. They would be encore performances - just a few minutes in length each. She would perform 13 of those pieces in the matinee along with works of Bach and Beethoven.
The encores were varied in style, ranging from beautifully melodic to somewhat atonal. I liked them very much because their novelty forced me to listen. My appreciation of classical music has widely broadened over the years and listening to these pieces and truly enjoying them made me realize how fortunate I was to have developed these tastes. Hilary played each piece beautifully. She took the microphone to thoughtfully introduce each encore. And in between when she forgot what she was playing, she hopped over to her music stand in her gown... still such a charming child.
Hilary Hahn has been on the classical music scene for about a decade and a half. She's not a veteran, but is certainly one of the foremost female violinists today. And despite her young age, she has is using her position to try to effect change in this genre. I find this incredibly impressive. It's a bold choice to commission so many contemporary works. It promotes the composers, to be sure and opens concert-goers - such as myself - to things outside our natural comfort zone. It's a risk... and I loved it.
As the intermission came and I contemplated running out for a drink, the woman next to me struck up a conversation. She was probably in her sixties, there with her husband. She asked me if I was enjoying myself and I told her I was, that I was from out of town, but that I had heard Hilary in concert on multiple occasions before. She asked what I was doing in Chicago and I proceeded to tell her of my scheme to figure out if I wanted to move here. She was excited for me and encouraged me to make the move. And as the conversation progressed, as it often does, it led to my disclosure of many details of my life, namely my family relationship. She listened intently and told me that all her kids lived within 5 minutes for her suburban home and that they got along splendidly well. I told her that I wished it could be that way for me, too, but that it wasn't. She was very nice and expressed sympathy for my situation. As intermission came to a close, we wrapped up our conversation and turned our focus back to the performance. Two pieces later, as we applauded, she leaned over to me and whispered in my ear that I could still be a good daughter from Chicago. I thought that was really sweet and I told her that I knew that. It was just another afirmation that Chicago is the right way to go.
After the concert was done, I decided to walk back home. It was only a few blocks up Michigan Avenue. It was still light out and just chilly enough to warrant my trench coat, but warm enough to make it enjoyable. It was late Sunday afternoon and there were tons of people out on the street. Millennium Park was on my right and I walked by fountains and Cloud Gate (the huge silver jelly bean). As I looked up at the beautiful architecture of the Chicago Public Library and surrounding buildings and walked with the sun on me... I felt the vibrant energy of city. I knew in that moment that I was falling deeply in love with Chicago. How could I not?
I went home and got ready for my first date of my trip. After leaving my relationship of 11 years, I took about a year off to gather myself and center. Recently, however, I felt that I was ready to meet people and "get out there" again. Planning trips, buying tickets and making reservations without anyone in particular in mind was starting to get to me and I wanted to share and learn again. So, in this day and age, I joined the world of online dating. As the commercial says, there were tons of people that I had heard had met their mates on match.com. I'm not expanding my social circles, so why not? LA dating was a sobering experience - and if I'm to be honest, probably one of the reasons why moving to Chicago sounded appealing. But I thought that Match.com would be a great opportunity to establish some contacts in a new city and maybe get some willing volunteers to show me around. I added a paragraph to my profile and let everyone know exactly what the situation was and made a few dates.
My first date was with D. It wasn't too deep into our first conversation on the phone that I realized that he lived in the EXACT building I would be staying in. Okay... this could be either really good or really bad. To purpose, I never told him which floor I was on - you never know! But, it turns out, D is a really nice guy. We made plans to go to the Purple Pig - a great restaurant where no reservations are accepted. But, by the time we met, I was starving, so in order to avoid a long wait, we went to another restaurant. Conversation flowed nicely. It was really easy to talk and be very honest with D. We moved from the restaurant to a bar and sat there for a while just chatting the night away. We left the bar and decided to walk home because it was so nice out. It really was quite mild and walking in it was a pleasure. We walked by an art installation of a 25 foot Marilyn Monroe statue. I passed on taking a picture. A bit too kitschy for me... but I'm hoity toity like that.
Our route home took us along the river and we drank up the sites. There might have been a bit of smooching, but I'm not going to say. We slowly made our way home and went back to his place. His apartment is on a lower floor than mine. It has two bedrooms with a wraparound balcony. In addition to my view of the lake and Millennium Park, he has the added angle of Navy Pier. It's gorgeous at night. Take note... this good size two bedroom, two bath apartment will set you back $3400 per month! Lakeshore East is a new neighborhood that has a lot of appeal and it is priced accordingly! Parking is an additional $200+ per month! Don't get me wrong... it's very nice and the amenities are top-notch... but wow... that's a lot of money. Needless to say, I probably won't be living in this building when I move....
Hung out a bit and then headed home. It was hardly a walk of shame, but it was nice that it was just a few floors up.
I'm having a great time so far... too bad I have to work tomorrow!
Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Arrival - Day 1
I knew in my heart that my decision was already made. But, being risk adverse, I felt the need to do further research to confirm that this was a good decision. I had some doubts in myself. What if I wasn't able to hack it? What if I ended up a shut in, scared to meet people? Some close friends helped me work through my anxieties and helped me to realize that at the very least, it would be a great two-week working vacation. What did I have to lose other than a little bit of money? Sold.
Flights between Los Angeles are surprisingly affordable if booked within a reasonable timeframe. I've paid more, on several occasions, to fly to Vegas. I had the foresight to book a morning flight that didn't require getting to the airport at the crack of dawn. How odd to fly and actually check a bag - something I never do... but with 2 weeks and unpredictable weather, a full office to support and just plain old stuff, I was overflowing.
The flight was uneventful. Emergency exit row makes life much more bearable. About halfway through the flight, I started chatting with the couple next to me and told them the purpose of the trip. Their excitement grew for me as I divulged more details. Wintering in Los Angeles, working from anywhere... it all added up to the same question I get over and over - why would I NOT do it? We talked about the idea of blogging about my experience, with the eventual goal of parlaying the blog into a book deal and eventually a movie... Sounds nice, right? And then we ran with the thought that I should move to a different city every year or 6 months and chronicle the experiences there... additional books, additional movies... the cash was just rolling in. We brainstormed on a list of cities: New York, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas (I'll pass on that one!)... It was a fun conversation, but at the end of it, this adventure was very specific to the city of Chicago for me and that other cities that I had visitied had never charmed me the way Chicago did.
Landed and took the train into town. The apartment was a crap shoot. Wasn't sure if my corporate housing service, which was based in Florida (!) But my fears were put at ease quickly. The building is only a couple years old. I would later find that there were a ton of amenities - a full gym, game rooms, regular activities scheduled, 24 hour door service... it was all I could ask for. And the building was filled younger folks - definitely not a family atmosphere. Plus, it's pet friendly, so I would see numerous dogs of varying sizes. Made me miss my dog at home, Happy. Apartment was small but completely functional. A quick check of my biggest requirement - the internet... very strong! We're in business!
Quickly unpacked and got ready to meet up with my one acquaintance in the city - my welcome wagon. Bill is a friend of my best friend. I had met up with him on my first trip and was looking forward to seeing a friendly face. I got ready and headed out to a bar called the Green Door. A short cab ride from my place, the Green Door is said to be the oldest bar in Chicago. It's building was in the great fire of 1871 and still pitches to one side. It's a local pub - exactly up my alley. Bill arrived with an old college buddy, Todd. We sat and got a drink. Apparently I was late to the party... seems Bill had started his drinking very early and was tapering off with beer (he's normally a hard liquor man). We had a few drinks and decided to move on. Bill had a friend in from Indiana - a doctor he had previously worked with. His friend was in town to meet a girl he was being set up with. Turns out that she had brought a friend on the date and they wanted to go dancing. Sights set on going to a club.
Clubs really aren't my scene. I prefer to sit and actually hear the conversations you're having. But, it was my first night and I wanted to see anything and everything. We headed to Underground - what was described to me as a very "Vegas" club. We arrived and there was a line. The bouncers were extremely unfriendly and curt. The two girls turned out to be asian... Asians are a bit of a novelty in the midwest - certainly compared to Los Angeles. So we girls pushed to the front of the line and tried to work our charm. Sadly, we had no luck and being far too old to wait more than a few minutes, we moved on to another lounge-y establishment, called Cuvee. Arriving at about 11:30, the place was empty - it was Saturday after all... We had a round of drinks and slowly the place started to fill up. The girls were from San Francisco and very typical of that area. Cute, professionals, a bit standoffish. They were pleasant enough and we all chatted about those things you chat with people about at a club.
I went out for a cigarette and as is always the case, this is where you meet everyone. You can hear conversations and there's just a comraderie among smokers that's universal. I met some guys from Macedonia that had been in Chicago for a few years. I gave them the story and they were encouraging... but the winters! This is the disclosure I get from everyone I encounter. The winters are brutal. It was a pleasant conversation and he introduced me to his 5 guy friends. We exchange introductions and head in from the cold. The club is hopping at this point and getting quite loud. We continue drink and chat. My lightweight status with drinking is slowing my evening down. I contemplate leaving the club, but the others convince me to stay. It's a scene and the people watching alone is worth the price of admission - a sea of white people. The girls are all in short dresses and sky high heels. There's some dancing on the banquettes, but generally, it's a pretty tame scene.
The evening whiles away and it's getting late. At this point, I'm starving, but no one is interested in eating. The girls are the first to leave... I think Bill's friend was very underwhelmed by his date. Personally, I think he can do much better. We leave the club and Bill is very drunk. We get in a cab and we go to Bill's place. He plops down on the couch and mumbles something about watching TV. I'm tired. My feet hurt from my 6 (yes, 6) inch heels. I watch TV for a while and then try to get Bill to get up so I can put him to bed. He refuses. I sit back down and doze off a bit. I wake up with no idea of the time. I try one more time to move Bill, but he isn't budging. So, I left him on the couch and left his place. It's 4:30 in the morning and the street is a ghost town. I wonder how long I should stand there before I walk somewhere or go back in. And somehow, magically, one appears and I'm wisked home. I crawl into bed as the sun is coming up. I love this town.
It wasn't a completely wild evening, but it was fun. And I know that it's just the beginning of a great adventure to come!
Flights between Los Angeles are surprisingly affordable if booked within a reasonable timeframe. I've paid more, on several occasions, to fly to Vegas. I had the foresight to book a morning flight that didn't require getting to the airport at the crack of dawn. How odd to fly and actually check a bag - something I never do... but with 2 weeks and unpredictable weather, a full office to support and just plain old stuff, I was overflowing.
The flight was uneventful. Emergency exit row makes life much more bearable. About halfway through the flight, I started chatting with the couple next to me and told them the purpose of the trip. Their excitement grew for me as I divulged more details. Wintering in Los Angeles, working from anywhere... it all added up to the same question I get over and over - why would I NOT do it? We talked about the idea of blogging about my experience, with the eventual goal of parlaying the blog into a book deal and eventually a movie... Sounds nice, right? And then we ran with the thought that I should move to a different city every year or 6 months and chronicle the experiences there... additional books, additional movies... the cash was just rolling in. We brainstormed on a list of cities: New York, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas (I'll pass on that one!)... It was a fun conversation, but at the end of it, this adventure was very specific to the city of Chicago for me and that other cities that I had visitied had never charmed me the way Chicago did.
Landed and took the train into town. The apartment was a crap shoot. Wasn't sure if my corporate housing service, which was based in Florida (!) But my fears were put at ease quickly. The building is only a couple years old. I would later find that there were a ton of amenities - a full gym, game rooms, regular activities scheduled, 24 hour door service... it was all I could ask for. And the building was filled younger folks - definitely not a family atmosphere. Plus, it's pet friendly, so I would see numerous dogs of varying sizes. Made me miss my dog at home, Happy. Apartment was small but completely functional. A quick check of my biggest requirement - the internet... very strong! We're in business!
Quickly unpacked and got ready to meet up with my one acquaintance in the city - my welcome wagon. Bill is a friend of my best friend. I had met up with him on my first trip and was looking forward to seeing a friendly face. I got ready and headed out to a bar called the Green Door. A short cab ride from my place, the Green Door is said to be the oldest bar in Chicago. It's building was in the great fire of 1871 and still pitches to one side. It's a local pub - exactly up my alley. Bill arrived with an old college buddy, Todd. We sat and got a drink. Apparently I was late to the party... seems Bill had started his drinking very early and was tapering off with beer (he's normally a hard liquor man). We had a few drinks and decided to move on. Bill had a friend in from Indiana - a doctor he had previously worked with. His friend was in town to meet a girl he was being set up with. Turns out that she had brought a friend on the date and they wanted to go dancing. Sights set on going to a club.
Clubs really aren't my scene. I prefer to sit and actually hear the conversations you're having. But, it was my first night and I wanted to see anything and everything. We headed to Underground - what was described to me as a very "Vegas" club. We arrived and there was a line. The bouncers were extremely unfriendly and curt. The two girls turned out to be asian... Asians are a bit of a novelty in the midwest - certainly compared to Los Angeles. So we girls pushed to the front of the line and tried to work our charm. Sadly, we had no luck and being far too old to wait more than a few minutes, we moved on to another lounge-y establishment, called Cuvee. Arriving at about 11:30, the place was empty - it was Saturday after all... We had a round of drinks and slowly the place started to fill up. The girls were from San Francisco and very typical of that area. Cute, professionals, a bit standoffish. They were pleasant enough and we all chatted about those things you chat with people about at a club.
I went out for a cigarette and as is always the case, this is where you meet everyone. You can hear conversations and there's just a comraderie among smokers that's universal. I met some guys from Macedonia that had been in Chicago for a few years. I gave them the story and they were encouraging... but the winters! This is the disclosure I get from everyone I encounter. The winters are brutal. It was a pleasant conversation and he introduced me to his 5 guy friends. We exchange introductions and head in from the cold. The club is hopping at this point and getting quite loud. We continue drink and chat. My lightweight status with drinking is slowing my evening down. I contemplate leaving the club, but the others convince me to stay. It's a scene and the people watching alone is worth the price of admission - a sea of white people. The girls are all in short dresses and sky high heels. There's some dancing on the banquettes, but generally, it's a pretty tame scene.
The evening whiles away and it's getting late. At this point, I'm starving, but no one is interested in eating. The girls are the first to leave... I think Bill's friend was very underwhelmed by his date. Personally, I think he can do much better. We leave the club and Bill is very drunk. We get in a cab and we go to Bill's place. He plops down on the couch and mumbles something about watching TV. I'm tired. My feet hurt from my 6 (yes, 6) inch heels. I watch TV for a while and then try to get Bill to get up so I can put him to bed. He refuses. I sit back down and doze off a bit. I wake up with no idea of the time. I try one more time to move Bill, but he isn't budging. So, I left him on the couch and left his place. It's 4:30 in the morning and the street is a ghost town. I wonder how long I should stand there before I walk somewhere or go back in. And somehow, magically, one appears and I'm wisked home. I crawl into bed as the sun is coming up. I love this town.
It wasn't a completely wild evening, but it was fun. And I know that it's just the beginning of a great adventure to come!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
How is this possible?
I am lucky enough to be working at a job that allows me, at least for now, to work remotely from anywhere with a strong internet connection.
On another note, there is not one person that hasn't told me that I should move to Chicago. However, without fail, there's always a comment on the winters here and how they will be dreary. Fortunately, or not - depending on how you look at it, I will retain my house in Los Angeles and have the luxury of wintering there.
Financially, I support my family (mother and sister). I recently broke up from an 11 year relationship and at the time was unemployed. I had a house I was paying for so I figured I might as well moved in. It's hard - I'm not going to lie. It's embarassing to have to tell people that you live with your family - or more that they live with me. I like to have my own space. I haven't cooked in ages. And to top it all off, the support is sort of an asian obligation thing. There's not a lot of gratitude that comes with it, so it makes me a tad bitter. I've been saving money to do a three-wall renovation on my house... so I can use that to buy another place in Chicago if it works out.
Wintering in California will allow me to avoid the worst times in Chicago... allow me to see my friends - who are in the LA area and Las Vegas. Most importantly, it will allow me to snowboard... Chicago is as flat as a Korean girl's ass!
On another note, there is not one person that hasn't told me that I should move to Chicago. However, without fail, there's always a comment on the winters here and how they will be dreary. Fortunately, or not - depending on how you look at it, I will retain my house in Los Angeles and have the luxury of wintering there.
Financially, I support my family (mother and sister). I recently broke up from an 11 year relationship and at the time was unemployed. I had a house I was paying for so I figured I might as well moved in. It's hard - I'm not going to lie. It's embarassing to have to tell people that you live with your family - or more that they live with me. I like to have my own space. I haven't cooked in ages. And to top it all off, the support is sort of an asian obligation thing. There's not a lot of gratitude that comes with it, so it makes me a tad bitter. I've been saving money to do a three-wall renovation on my house... so I can use that to buy another place in Chicago if it works out.
Wintering in California will allow me to avoid the worst times in Chicago... allow me to see my friends - who are in the LA area and Las Vegas. Most importantly, it will allow me to snowboard... Chicago is as flat as a Korean girl's ass!
How it all started...
I, like so many, love to travel. Maybe it's because I've lived in one place for the majority of life or maybe it's the natural wanderlust that is innate in all of us. But I love to go to a new place and discover how things are different. It opens your mind and fills you with so many thoughts and emotions. As I have grown personally, I've come to value the discovery of how we're all the same... It makes me feel less isolated and makes me feel like I might actually belong to the human race.
And so, with my limited means throughout the years, I have begun to explore. My international travel is limited, but I'm working on that. In the meantime, I've visited a number of US cities. I have an intense interest in food and my palate has led me to some amazing experiences in some of the top restaurants to hole-in-the-wall gems. I have loved every moment and truly believe that even the occasional miss is ultimately always a win.
Of the major cities in the US, Chicago was the last that I had yet to visit. Unlike so many cities, work had not taken me there. Hearing of an incredible food scene, coupled with a strong arts town with great people, I knew I would enjoy it. I booked a trip with the promise of a girlfriend's company, but she was unable to make it due to work conflicts. Newly single and with restless feet, I decided to go alone. I will share details of the first trip in the future, but needless to say, I fell head over heels in love with Chicago. So much so, that the week I was back in LA, I booked another trip before the month's end. This time, it would be two weeks... and the intent was to determine if I would move to Chicago.
I'm sure people do things like this everyday. People like me, however, who are normally in complete control of everything, adverse to risk and not-at-all prone to capricious whims, don't do this... But, I went. Just like that.
And so, with my limited means throughout the years, I have begun to explore. My international travel is limited, but I'm working on that. In the meantime, I've visited a number of US cities. I have an intense interest in food and my palate has led me to some amazing experiences in some of the top restaurants to hole-in-the-wall gems. I have loved every moment and truly believe that even the occasional miss is ultimately always a win.
Of the major cities in the US, Chicago was the last that I had yet to visit. Unlike so many cities, work had not taken me there. Hearing of an incredible food scene, coupled with a strong arts town with great people, I knew I would enjoy it. I booked a trip with the promise of a girlfriend's company, but she was unable to make it due to work conflicts. Newly single and with restless feet, I decided to go alone. I will share details of the first trip in the future, but needless to say, I fell head over heels in love with Chicago. So much so, that the week I was back in LA, I booked another trip before the month's end. This time, it would be two weeks... and the intent was to determine if I would move to Chicago.
I'm sure people do things like this everyday. People like me, however, who are normally in complete control of everything, adverse to risk and not-at-all prone to capricious whims, don't do this... But, I went. Just like that.
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