a year in review

One year ago, we were unpacking boxes and reality was setting in: I was officially a Chicagoan. I literally can’t believe a year has passed since then! I still feel like a transplant in a lot of ways, but every once in a while something jumps out at me and I realize maybe I’m a little more settled than I think...

...Like how I’m not interested in driving basically ever (I just love the train/bus/biking way too much)...

...And then there are those Sharp As and Os that come out of my mouth when I least expect it (Sometimes I actively repeat words in my head afterwards in the non-Midwestern way just to make sure I still can)...

But I think the biggest change that’s occurred, aside from my making new friends, getting a new job, starting a new life with my new husband—you know, little things—was finally appreciating Fall, Winter, and Summer in their true forms. Sidenote: Texas pretty much owns Spring so let’s not worry about that one.

Fall

Ummmm September & October are freaking amazing. I’ve never seen trees turn like that. Of course by November it’s freezing BUT…for two glorious months you live in a giant vat of orange, yellow, and reds. And you play tennis and drink lattes and wear scarves and watch football and anything is possible.

Winter

The novelty of snow distracted me all the way into February. It's always so white! And boots are fun! And fires are warm!

Then I just got angry. Thank God it wasn’t just me—everyone was pissed off by April when it kept freezing and snowing and sleeting and raining and my favorite: freezing-snow-sleet raining. The worst part was, everywhere else in America (and by that I mean, in Texas) it was already on the verge of Summer. However. There’s something to be said for the fact that it snowed on Christmas and we could drive to a ski slope and we witnessed a blizzard and played in giant six-foot snowdrifts. There was certainly no confusing that I was, in fact, experiencing a real live winter.

Summer

And last but not least, sweet sweet Summer. The heat of Austin summers never really bothered me, but I still can officially say I’m a Chicago Summer Convert. Nevermind that Spring completely blew us off and went straight from 45 to 75 degrees. BUT THEN IT STAYED THERE. I think we had one week’s worth of 90-degree weather, and I played tennis on both of the hottest days so that means it was only fake hot. It was pretty sad not to spend time at the pool, but then again that’s because there were so many other awesome things to do outside like be outside all the time. I started a new gym membership and went about six times because I could just run outside instead. In the summer! Everything’s been so lush, and so breezy, and just…I can't say enough. All I can say is - this is totally what makes all eight million people stay put for the other nine months of the year. I get it.

I'm already excited to look back in another year and see the new changes we embarked on, see whether I feel like I can call the city home, and most importantly, see if anyone from Texas punched me in the face over a cAn of pOp. Here's to Chicago!