I get by with a little help from my friends.

I’m all settled in! 

Thanks to my good friend Kaitlyn, I had a place to crash for a few days while I commenced job searching and getting acquainted with the city.  Since Friday, though, I have been in my apartment getting unpacked and figuring out the lay of the land. 

Things are going well so far…with the exception of still being jobless.  However, I start my internship at WGN-TV tomorrow, and I could not be more excited. 

Allie, Paul and their dog, Obie, have been a huge help, too.  It’s nice to have old friends so close, not to mention experts on my neighborhood showing me around. 

Last night I went out in the Gold Coast with Erin, Alan and Rado.  I would say it was a pretty warm welcome to Chicago and a great start to what is sure to be an amazing summer.  We spent most of the night at Finn McCool’s on Division, which ahs this amazing wall of windows that open up to the street.  It’s a pretty ideal situation for people watching, but not so great for the fickle Midwest weather since temps got pretty cool last night.  Still, we saw about a dozen bachelorette parties and some other interesting characters…meaning the night was definitely entertaining. 

I still need to figure out the intricacies of the L, in particular late at night.  Apparently part of the Brown Line was closed last night, meaning I had to transfer trains a few times to get home.  I’ll admit, I was a little freaked out, but I met a new friend waiting for the train and she helped me figure out where to go.  I had to counsel her on her relationship issues in exchange, but that’s typical of my life anyways, right? 

I’m a little bummed I couldn’t make it to any Cubs games this weekend, in particular because they were playing the Dodgers (still have to show my support for the West Coast!).  But walking through Wrigleyville during game time was pretty awesome.  The atmosphere there is unlike anything I have ever experienced, and I’m hoping to be on the inside soon. 

Today has been the most relaxing day since I’ve been here.  I woke up and attempted to go to mass, only I got the parish name wrong and showed up 30 minutes late.  Oops!  Instead I decided to do some communing with nature (yup, nature in Chicago) and hang out in my backyard. 

Behind my apartment is this gorgeous little slice of Eden.  I’m seriously not exaggerating.  A brick path leading to a shed cuts the yard into two sections, with beautiful twisted trees and shrubs on the perimeter.  In one corner is a little statue of an angel who has her mouth curled in this perfect little smirk.  Most garden statues kind of freak me out, but this one is pretty and in place of the typical vacant, stony expression, are eyes that really make her look alive.  Needless to say, I like the statue. 

While the backyard has tons of plants and flowers, the house and porches don’t get a lot of sunlight.  Trees pretty much block anything that tries to get in.  It’s making it hard for me to grow my basil plant, but if that’s my only complaint, life is good. 

Actually…life is really good.  Cheers!

Here we go.

I’ve been waiting for weeks to write this entry and make the first post on my new blog.  While I try to keep “The View From Right Here” current with political, pop culture and breaking news events, I keep my day-to-day interactions and experiences out of it.  This blog, though, will document my transition from the collegiate life to the Big Kid World…using Chicago as my vehicle and my experiences as mile markers. 

I’m hoping to experience as much of the city as I can, and what I learn I will share with you.  Just like I enjoy a good debate on my other blog, I would appreciate feedback on this journal, as well. 

Right now I am sitting on the train, making the slow crawl towards the city.  I keep looking out the window just waiting to see the rising skyline.  It’s chilly this morning, and I didn’t get much sleep last night…chalk it up to a few nerves and some excitement. 

To be honest, though, I feel content.  I’ve been waiting to make a move like this for years, and it’s hard to believe that today is the day.  I don’t know what to expect, and I’ve tried really hard to keep my imagination at bay.  In reality, I don’t need to know what’s coming or what it will be like since I’ll be living it later this afternoon.

Thanks for reading and cheers!