2 months

since I moved to Chicago. Well, slightly under, but still.

I think that the move is both the smartest and the most challenging thing I've done in years.

The challenge is not adjusting to a new job, or adjusting to a new city, it's adjusting to a new state of mind. I've never lived in a place where I basically knew nobody. When I moved from NY to LA, that was a huge move, on many levels, but, my best friend had moved to LA a month ahead of me, and that made a big difference. We endeavored to not hang out all the time, so we could make other friends, and we did, some mutual, some exclusive to the other....but, it was good knowing that if I needed something, if an emergency occurred, if I was REALLY bored or even a little homesick...I had someone.

Now, while the few coworkers I have are REALLY nice, (and I've had dinner with some, gone to Cubs games with others, seeing the Police next Friday with one of 'em, etc), they're not exactly "friends" either. It's not like I need constant companionship..if anything, I require more alone time than anything. And it's not like I'm bored or lonely, the city is too amazing, and I'm too busy/have too many interests to experience either state of being. But, I'm cognizant of the fact that I'm pretty much on my own here....which I knew would be the case, of course, when I elected to make this move, but, still, theory and practice are two different things. So, it's, as I said, an adjustment that I'm still making, but, if that's my biggest problem in life, things are good.

All that being said, I'm still amazingly happy I did this. I love exploring the city, be it via a long walk, taking some random bus, taking the train and getting off at a random stop, etc. It's a feeling I never tire of, exploring new cities, be it on vacation or where I'm newly settled. It's a fantastic city, and the weekends in the summer are rife with festivals, fairs, etc.

The job, the reason I'm here, is amazing. Creating something from scratch is a rare and wonderful opportunity. When this thing launches, the few that are already employed will have their fingerprints all over it. Fail or succeed, we're building something, and we're lucky. It's also cool to meet a new hire or two every week. We're staffing up, and we're maybe at 25% of where we'll be come September, so, there are new faces all the time. I'm a veteran at 2 months! After 10 years in the same place, I figured I'd be energized by the change, but did not realize to what extent I'd be enerigzed. It's a great feeling.

Lastly, I'm a 2 hour plane ride from home, which is fantastic. I can now make weekend trips to NY, whereas before it was logistically challenging. So, I can see my family and old friends more often. I'm also able to create reasons to go to LA on business, so I'll get to see those friends every once in a while, too, which is good, as they became my de-facto family over the 10 years I lived there.

So, the work-life balance has tilted towards work, but, I do love it there right now, so it's not a bad thing. In due time, as I let my guard down, I'll meet more people and slowly carve out a more robust social life. Regardless, I am really happy to be where I am, personally and professionally, and I continue to count myself amongst the lucky.

Yankees = sad times for me.

Reading "Master and Commander" by Patrick O'Brian. So far, so good.

Watched Season 2 of Twin Peaks on DVD over the past month. Starts off great, loses its way in the middle, last episode closes things out stongly, though.

For anyone that's reading this that has read my journal in the past, my aforementioned best friend's wife, as you might recall, has had major pregnancy issues over the past, well, 2 years now, actually. Since that time, so many of our mutual friends have had children......So, it makes me smile wide to type that they were able to adopt a cute baby boy, just about 2 months ago. I headed to NY 2 weekends ago to visit them, and it was so fulfilling to see them with their baby. Such a pure feeling of joy to see them both so very happy, and their son is happy too; he knows he's going to be loved, I think. When he figures out that he has me for an honorary Uncle, well, his happiness might cease.

That's it. Thanks.