I don't think it's a big surprise to anyone that I love the city. I have always been a city girl, since the very first time I went to New York City to visit my relatives. I don't think I can overstate how hard I fell for city life. I loved the crush of people, noise, lights, the smell of Chinese takeout and bakeries. I almost got killed by a cab, and to my parents' horror, I was thrilled. I went back as often as possible. When I was junior in high school, I spent three weeks living with my cousin in Greenwich Village. My hippie performing arts school had a whole month of what we called Paideia. We could spend a month doing anything from intensive hiphop to mock trial. I chose to do an independent study and attend a writer's series at the New School.

I never went. I don't remember why, I think I was intimidated by the thought of college students (college students!) critiquing my writing. Instead, I went to ballet class at Broadway Dance Center (It kicked my ass, I should have been more intimidated by it). I wandered around New York City, taking the train to places that sounded interesting all by myself while my cousin went to school. I saw Rent and a few other plays. I got carded in a bar and saw Kirsten Dunst in Dean and Deluca. I basically did nothing except explore and pretend I lived in New York. Oh, and I started artfully slinging scarves around my neck (scarves make you urban, did you know?) I made plans to move there immediately after I graduated. With a lot of scarves and not a lot of money.

Obviously my life didn't play out how I envisioned it when I was seventeen, but I still ended up in a city that I love. And I love Chicago more than New York, for reasons I didn't care about when I was in high school. It's cheaper. Friendlier. You don't have to be glamorous or edgy (or both) here. New York is exceedingly cool, Chicago is just...itself.

I think one of the best things about living in a city, besides the easy access to sushi and museums and art we never take enough advantage of, is actually getting out of the city. It makes me appreciate trees. Even the flat, empty cornfields that I hated when I first moved to the midwest look somewhat stark and lovely to me now. We're at Joshua's parents this weekend, just hanging out and drinking coffee and doing free laundry and watching hdtv (him) and leisurely blogging (me). It's quiet and not at all how I want my life to be every day,but I do appreciate it. Have I totally grown up?