Here I Go (Again) on My Own

Okay, so perhaps not "again." And technically, not "alone" on my own. But close enough. I've decided to redo this blog and use it for something, well, useful instead of my mad ramblings about love. So I'll try to offer some musings about moving to a new city in the hopes that I might help someone else in a similar situation.

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Correction: I grew up in Bay Village, Ohio, which may as well have been 800 miles away because I'm sure it was nothing like growing up in Cleveland proper. Anyways, grew up in Bay Village, went away to college for four years at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, then moved back to Bay Village with my parents. There was a brief stint in Baltimore during the summer of 2000, but I'm not sure it counts as a real "move" since I was subletting, had no furniture and basically lived at my boyfriend's house in a completely codependent manner. But I digress.

After living with my parents until the ripe old age of 24, I moved in with a boyfriend who I had been seeing for, oh, six months at the time; six months of which we barely spent a moment apart except for work and rehearsals, and even those were often intermingled. He and I lived together for the next six-ish years in a variety of places, and upon breaking up I moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Rocky River, Ohio.

After spending about eight months in the Rocky River apartment (which I shared with a number of cockroaches and next door to what had to be the biggest pothead in the world. Seriously. 10 am on a Monday? What is this, college?) I leaped right back into the nest with Mom and tried to decide what to do next.

Upon hearing that a close friend was moving to Chicago, I thought, why not? I've always wanted to move to Chicago, just never had the guts or opportunity to do so. This was perfect. We would get an apartment together, close to school for her, and it didn't matter where I lived since in one life I worked from home and the other, I worked everywhere.

We visited Chicago and quickly found a great apartment, great area, great parking, great everything. And so a lease was signed and we were on our way.

On the day of the move amongst friends and family I had my obligatory I-don't-wanna-go breakdown, but made it out of the state of Ohio at last. When I arrived, I knew I had made the perfect decision for me. Things were going to be better here...or at least different :) And so began my adventure where, for the first time, I'm truly on my own. It feels pretty good.