Chicago's Past and Futures

Two weeks ago I was in Chicago looking at places to live and places to work. I chose Chicago because A) it has more opportunity than anywhere in Ohio, and B) it is a really nice city. I suggest you visit. You might even be able to stay with me.

Of the places I looked at, three suited me quite nicely. The first, where I will probably end up, is a few blocks from Wrigley Field, the home of the Cubs. I would be living with three conservative Christian fellows age 25, 31, and 39 (baby me). The price started at $500 (a good deal for that section of town) but got dropped to $400 when I said that it was a bit too high. I had no intention of bargaining my way in, but I'll take what I can get. The room is quite small but that's to be expected anywhere. The problem: no girls overnight. While this would rarely effect me, I still like the occasional visit.

The second place is home to three like-aged girls and a cat. It is a ways North of the city (near Northwestern) and a 15 minute walk to the El(evated train station). But, it's a steal at less than $350 a month with a relatively enormous room all to myself. The problem: Don't I have enough friendships with women? The ratio is already like 4:1.

The third place is located in Wicker Park, which was described as being Chicago's version of New York's Village. The tenants were straight out of a movie, one gay black man and one straight white man. They were a lot of fun and Talya and I got to have a half hour conversation with them, which was quite enjoyable. The room is reasonably sized and at less than $400, I could get comfortable. The problem: They are picking someone, not me. And the "young christian kid who grew up in white suburbia" doesn't exactly sell itself.

So, as of now I am going with the first pick because the other two haven't returned my phone calls. My new obstacle is jumping the hurdle of actually leaving. Ideally I would move in on the 6th and 7th of January, which is an uncomfortable two and a half weeks away. And now all the fear in my body is coming to bear as I face sleepless nights and strange dreams that haunt me throughout the day. The reasons I can dream up for being afraid are varied and unlikely, but they are still there, pushing at me, warning me to flee. I'm not sure if the worst part will be that first night alone in a city of strangers, or the days that come after, as I seek out a job without the confidence to turn in resumes.

I have some applications pending, and I continue to search Craig's List, one of the best uses of the Internetron I have ever seen. Here is my goal for my time in Chicago: to find out if I want to do film and video production for a large portion of my life. Is that allowed? Is it ok to not know? That is my goal. But, I am also looking into teaching and non-profit jobs, because I value those professions above most others. The most exciting thing about moving to Chicago is the ability to work on a variety of film projects with a variety of like-minded people. And, after I live there, if anyone wants to come see Oprah, you have to let me know several months in advance.

That is my life up to this point. My Christmas shopping is half-finished. Does anyone know what I could get my 19 year old sister? Let's hope our gifts to each other don't make the Christ King cringe.