Chicago!

Things have changed a little bit since I last posted. The biggest and most obvious change is that I'm living in Chicago now! I made a temporary move to a city that I've been threatening to do for a long time (with little intention of ever following up on it). I live with my friend Evan, an amazing banjo player, cook, and all around wonderful guy in an old apartment facing the L train tracks. I'm interning at a non-profit music school that does a lot of really cool musical education/social education programs for children who otherwise wouldn't have access to that kind of thing.

I've been playing and listening to a lot of music (Evan's band, and the band I sometimes play bass with is practicing in the living room as I type this). I've been getting on the train, going to work, coming home, hanging out, getting lost, finding my way, being bad at public transportation, getting better at it, and to tell you the truth, being kind of a lazy bum whenever I can get away with it. Either I have mono or the city is just tuckering me out. But I am learning and seeing wonderful things and becoming braver and (hopefully) smarter in the process.

I really like Chicago. I like living in the city. I like being able to walk to a grocery store where I can get huge leaves of aloe vera, persimmon, fresh baked bread, religious candles, and at least 5 different kinds of yams, even when I'm just going for lettuce, coffee, and egg noodles. I like being able to go to the grocery store and only get 2 bags, because it's just around the corner and I can come back as often as I need to without too much effort. I like being able to get on a train and get to work, or to a bar for a gig, or to my boyfriend's house and not have to worry about dodging deer, accidentally driving intoxicated, or snow. Okay, I do have to worry about sitting in close proximity to crazy people, getting mugged, and getting on the wrong bus/train. But I can worry about these things while reading or thinking my own thoughts and not using more fossil fuels than would be used in the city anyway. I don't really go places by myself at night and don't use the alley entrance to my apartment when it's really late. I stopped wearing super nice clothing to work and in certain places in my neighborhood because it makes me stand out too much.

I guess the point is that I'm having fun, doing my best to be safe, and working hard when I'm not asleep on my queen-sized air mattress. Jury's still out on whether I'd want to live in a city for an extended stay, but that's a trial that can go on for as long as it has to.