Chicago
It has been a while since my last post, however, I do have an excuse.... I made a long weekend trip to Chicago - the home of my brother, sister, and many friends. What an odd holiday weekend it was. The news continued to be filled with the horrifying images of New Orleans and other devastated areas of the Gulf and then, suddenly, on Saturday, Chief Justice Rehnquist ups and dies. Ok, so maybe it was not that sudden - you have to give the guy credit for hanging on as long as he did.
Anyway, I was in Chicago for four days. It is always odd returning back to the Midwest. For those of you who do not know, I was born and raised roughly 2.5 hours south of Chicago near the booming metropolis of Peoria. This is referred to as "downstate" in a very disparaging way by the folks who live in Chicago.
As I have now lived in California for five years, I am becoming more used to the feelings and thoughts that I have when I return to the Midwest. Whenever I land at O'Hare International, I always think to myself, "it is so clean here and the people seem happy, maybe I should move back to the Midwest." The trend only continues when I open up a Chicago Tribune and notice the real estate section. Let's just say I could certainly upgrade my living arrangements if I were to move to Chicago.
However, as the trip progresses, I start to realize certain things. First, I note that I only visit the city in the late spring and early fall. As I was running along Lake Michigan on Saturday morning, my mind flashed to the same scene in January. The snow would be knee deep and the wind coming off of the lake would be cutting through me like a knife. Not a good thing. Second, I start to really take a look at the people and, more importantly, the food. Let's just say many folks in Chicago do not miss meals regularly and the food is HEAVY. Try as we might, my boyfriend and I could not find good light cuisine - lots of beef, pork, french fries, etc.
Toward the end of the trip, I could not help but notice the "roughness" surrounding Chicago. It is the king of the rust belt and a total survivor. You have to appreciate the titans that built this place and the monuments of Chicago's past and current power are everywhere. They did an excellent job. However, as much as I can appreciate this, there still seems to be a certain element of culture that is missing. I think I have narrowed it down to the fact that Chicago is not "unique" to me. I grew up south of here and visited many times while growing up. The folks who live there remind me of the people that populated my early life.
I think that is what I appreciate so much about Southern California - it is the largest melting pot in the United States. The diversity is what keeps me going - despite all the drawbacks (and there are more than a few) of living here. As I boarded my flight to come home, I realized California is now truly my home - who knows how long this will last, but it seems to be the case right now......
Anyway, I was in Chicago for four days. It is always odd returning back to the Midwest. For those of you who do not know, I was born and raised roughly 2.5 hours south of Chicago near the booming metropolis of Peoria. This is referred to as "downstate" in a very disparaging way by the folks who live in Chicago.
As I have now lived in California for five years, I am becoming more used to the feelings and thoughts that I have when I return to the Midwest. Whenever I land at O'Hare International, I always think to myself, "it is so clean here and the people seem happy, maybe I should move back to the Midwest." The trend only continues when I open up a Chicago Tribune and notice the real estate section. Let's just say I could certainly upgrade my living arrangements if I were to move to Chicago.
However, as the trip progresses, I start to realize certain things. First, I note that I only visit the city in the late spring and early fall. As I was running along Lake Michigan on Saturday morning, my mind flashed to the same scene in January. The snow would be knee deep and the wind coming off of the lake would be cutting through me like a knife. Not a good thing. Second, I start to really take a look at the people and, more importantly, the food. Let's just say many folks in Chicago do not miss meals regularly and the food is HEAVY. Try as we might, my boyfriend and I could not find good light cuisine - lots of beef, pork, french fries, etc.
Toward the end of the trip, I could not help but notice the "roughness" surrounding Chicago. It is the king of the rust belt and a total survivor. You have to appreciate the titans that built this place and the monuments of Chicago's past and current power are everywhere. They did an excellent job. However, as much as I can appreciate this, there still seems to be a certain element of culture that is missing. I think I have narrowed it down to the fact that Chicago is not "unique" to me. I grew up south of here and visited many times while growing up. The folks who live there remind me of the people that populated my early life.
I think that is what I appreciate so much about Southern California - it is the largest melting pot in the United States. The diversity is what keeps me going - despite all the drawbacks (and there are more than a few) of living here. As I boarded my flight to come home, I realized California is now truly my home - who knows how long this will last, but it seems to be the case right now......
posted by The Random Gay Guy at 11:46 AM
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