I have learned quite a few things since moving here a little over a year ago.  I was thinking about a few of these lessons when I was in the car today.  Actually….I was thinking about Bella being a new transplant to the city like I was this time last year and that caused me to flashback to some things.

• An overabundance of traffic will NOT stop the city from closing a portion of the highway for summer long construction.  Just as I got accustomed to driving on the Eden’s highway, they closed 3 out of 4 lanes for the entire summer!
• There are certain areas of the city that will ALWAYS be crowded….rain, sun, snow, hail….unless there is a Bears/Cubs/Sox/Bulls game on.  I’m serious…it can be cold, raining, and 2 am on a Tuesday night…there are still bunches of people walking around Wrigleyville.  It’s amazing.
• The grocery stores near Soldier Field lay out the SPREAD on game days.  I stumbled into the Dominicks on Roosevelt one Sunday morning and the deli was like a gourmet center!  What I discovered was that I was in the spot where fans would go and shop for tailgating.  It was great!  There were salads, fruits, meats, cheeses, desserts….all uniquely different to that day.  Wow
• A monkey will show their ass and then try to hide it again.
• It’s entirely too easy to gain 30 pounds and not realize it.  All you know is that you’ve tried italian beef sandwiches, Vienna hot dogs, pizza puffs, 5 different styles of pizza, italian ice in 8 different flavors, authentic greek food, authentic spanish food, authentic puerto rican food, and a Brazilian steakhouse.
• There will ALWAYS be a show that you want to see.  You can go broke in this town between festivals, concerts, plays, theaters….everything.  I have seen the Alvin Ailey dance troupe, Stevie Wonder….and don’t forget the movies.  There is a movie theater that has a bowling alley and sports bar.  Then there is another one with love seats, food and drinks…the first time we went I fell asleep. LOL
• Public transportation is for ease and comfort.  I say that because I have never gotten home on the train in less time than it took in my car.  There were times when I was in the mood to ride the train so that I could read my book and listen to my music.  Then there were times when I wanted to be by myself and control my own speed.
• It’s very easy to have a girls night.  You can do a movie and dinner and drinks or game night at home with good food and wine (or cocktails) or window shopping downtown….with some drinks thrown in of course.  This fall I am planning on putting together a tour of women owned wineries and a chocolate tasting too.  Call me bourgie if you want but I know I have at least 8 other chicas I can call who’ll be down for the day.
• It is easy to find kitchen supplies dammit!

Welcome to the big city.