Missing Chicago

Having been in Athens on my own for a whole week, and thus out of Chicago, I am beginning to gain a bit of perspective on my year-long experiment. The upshoot is that it was a great use of a year, and that it made me more confident (in case I ever had problems with that!), and gave me a sense of strength and ownership of my own expertise, if that makes sense.

On a more mundane level, I am just getting homesick, which isn't a negative reflection on Athens as much as a positive one of Chicago. It was really sad when I had to change the time zone on my iPod today, or when CTA canceled my Chicago Card. (The other night, I had it in my pocket out of sheer habit, along with my ID, ATM card and such!)

Things I miss about Chicago:

• all of the food/beer/Target options just minutes away.
• right now, I am really missing Wokki smoothies and the fab burgers.
  
• diversity of arts options
  
• the 22 (when it ran properly)
• ambient noise as indicative of energy and activity
  
• the Skyline and the Lake
• Kallisti, my cousins, the Hippies, the COP, and all the rest of my playmates

Things I don't miss about Chicago:

• Rats (here we have bunnies and chipmunks)
• the ridiculous sales tax
• by extension - $10 movies, $5/6 beers, "boutique" pricing
  
• it taking no less than 30 minutes to get anywhere, either by foot, car, or CTA
• finding parking
• not having health insurance (I shouldn't be as excited about this as I am.)

These are by no means exhaustive lists. Every day I think of something new as I adapt to Athens, and all that it offers and lacks.

But one thing Chicago DOESN'T have: a pirate house!

on Pandora: "O Green World" - Gorillaz