Just A Drifter in Chicago

I am now officially a vagabond, living on the streets of Chicago with my suitcases in tow.  I have a new appreciation for the homeless people with shopping carts - genius. I may just have to tackle one and run off with it. Dragging a menagerie of bags around as I move from place to place, isn't easy.

Fortunately, I'm not actually homeless. I'm staying with friends until I leave next week.  I turned in the keys to my apartment on Sunday. All of my furniture and belongings have been somewhat carefully packed away in storage. Unbelievably I fit almost everything I own in a 5x8 foot storage unit. There was much cajoling and manuevering involved, plenty of help, and more than one swear word, and a complete break down...but it's done.

I lived in my tiny studio for 3 years and 7 months of my life - the longest I've lived at a single address address since I moved to college almost 12 years ago. It was definitely bittersweet as I left. (My former studio apartment is pictured above. Note: the objects you see are not larger than they seem - it really is the size of a postage stamp, but I liked it.)

I'm now losing a lot more sleep, between not having my own bed to sleep on and trying to figure out questions that don't have answers (Am I doing the right thing? Will I make friends there? What if I hate it? What if I don't and I don't want to come back?).  Can I just start the trip already?  I want to get to the part where I'm having fun and not so tormented.  My only consolation is that the next blog I write will be from the other side of the world!!!

Personal Goals:
- Avoid tears on my last night out in Chicago this Saturday
- Get to Auckland safely and with some sense of sanity left
- Get some sleep!