Growing Pains
My move to Chicago was probably the most chaotic thing I’ve ever done. I’ve wanted to live here almost since the first time my family and I visited when I was seven years old. As I got closer to being on my own these last couple of years, I wasn’t sure how or when I would get there. IF I even got the chance to make it happen somehow. I had always felt pulled to move out of Indy. Whether that be for a short or long period of time I didn’t know. I still don’t. But I knew that I didn’t see myself there at least for the time being. I wasn’t sure for how long or if it would be forever, but I held onto that. So much so, that I feel like it was one of those things pushing me through hard times as I was just starting out in the real world post-college. Those years were pretty discouraging for me. I was having to face the thing I feared all throughout my education —the reality that I had no idea what I wanted my career path to be. I was constantly getting rejected from jobs I’d applied for, and all my money was going toward student loan debt. There were times I thought to myself, “Is this even worth it?”. The world was so unstable as a whole at that time what with the pandemic, and the uncertainty was palpable (at least for me). Meanwhile, I was working as a nurse’s assistant in home health…not ideal. After a year of that, I got a job at a call center. That was a game changer because I could finally get out of being a CNA, and it was liberating. As I worked there, I started applying for other jobs. This led to my next position in corporate HR. I’d worked in Indy for about two years post-college until I felt financially stable enough to support myself. I had to see what it was like to live in the city solo. So I started looking for jobs again and eventually found one that wanted me to start about a week after my final interview. Safe to say it was an extremely quick turnaround, but I didn’t care. I could finally set my sights on Chicago and I wasn’t turning back! I was over the moon. From there, I put my notice in at work on the following Monday and made my way there that Friday after finishing my last day. I would start my new job the coming Monday. It was surreal. I was loving taking the train into the office and quickly realized how much I had romanticized working in the city. It’s beyond exhilarating to live out a childhood dream.
During my second weekend staying at my sister’s we ventured into the city to check out some apartments. She and I had put up with each other for about 2 weeks before quickly remembering what horrible roommates we made of one another growing up, so I had to get out of there fast. It had only taken about a couple of tours of studio apartments (they’re not all that different) for me to decide on one and end up signing for it that day. When selecting a day to move in, it just so happened that I could choose the following weekend. I went for it and made it final trying to prepare for the fact that I was moving, again, in a week…let the chaos continue. I don’t have any regrets about that though, I was so ready to be on my own.
Lots of growing up happened that first month, but especially in those first few days leading up to the move – signing a lease, getting renter’s insurance, making sure my electricity was working on move-in day, and setting up wifi.* I said goodbye to my car because there is more than enough public transportation that it wasn’t necessary for me. I’d waited long enough to live on my own, and it was hard to continue being patient when I was closer than I’d ever been to it. In my case, I’d been living with my parents for my first 2 years post-college, so I was more than ready to have my own place. If I’m being truthful though, I don’t really come by patience naturally. Anyways, more chaos, more leaning in. Plus, if you asked anyone who knows me personally, they’d probably argue that I live in a state of chaos generally speaking, so…right or wrong, I was definitely living up to that perspective of myself those first few weeks.
Surprisingly enough, we were lucky to have great weather in March to make the move, sunny and 70 (don’t ask me how). Thankfully, I had people in my corner to help with the very short notice given. I had packed up all my things again and met everyone at my new apartment that Saturday morning. I was so excited that the second I got to the apartment, I took another look around. As I stepped into the very small kitchen, I quickly realized there wasn’t a dishwasher. I really couldn’t give it much thought at the time because I was putting on a brave face, but it was a bummer, to say the least. It would be good for me, right? A little character-building never hurt anyone.*
And so it began. My journey to figuring out the entirety of the CTA public transportation. Not going to lie, the first month and a half of being here were pretty stressful just acclimating to everything. As stressful as it was though, it was also the most exciting time of my life, and I’ve learned so much about myself throughout the process. Who’s to say I won’t do it all again somewhere else?
*1. I put off setting up wifi for a couple months because I procrastinated, and the thought of calling a service provider sounded arduous to me at the time. It kind of ended up being just that, so I wasn’t wrong!
*2. Flash forward to right now, and I will never not make sure that there isn’t a dishwasher in my next place because not having one is so sad. Could be a tad dramatic, but I don’t care. They’re a privilege that I took for granted and never will again.
