Breakfast in the city

One of my absolute favorite things about living in this bustling city is the fact that I can wake up on a lazy Sunday morning, walk 3 blocks in any direction and sit down for a delicious breakfast. We were going to try a different place this morning, so we walked up Lincoln Ave to the "Salt and Pepper Diner," only to find it closed for remodeling. Well shit. So we headed east to Clark for some pancakes at "Orange with a Peel," and halfway there we changed our mind. The orange is a pretty fancy brunch place, and we wanted biscuits and gravy with french toast. Plain and Simple. So we headed south down Halstead and eventually hit the "Uptowner" on Lincoln about a block from the house. It was perfect. Got a good walk in and had a simple breakfast of greasy food to kill the slight wine hangover.

I cannot begin to express how much I love living here. I don't think I have ever been this happy in a single location. Yes, this year has been incredibly stressful at work, but next year will be immeasurably easier. The biggest difference between here and Phoenix is that I'm not miserable at work AND miserable in the city. It makes things a quite a bit more tolerable.

A tale of two cities.

I have spent the last five days in the desert, and it was an incredible confirmation that I made the right choice in moving this year. I had forgotten how ugly, boring and routine Phoenix actually is. It is the definition of urban-sprawl, and I hated being there. Don't get me wrong, I had an amazing time with Jenn and Caitlyn. Got some hiking in (I desperately miss that part!) and spent time with some good friends, but geez is it good to be back. The difference between the two cities is indescribable. I came back to people walking around on the streets, green lawns and blossoming trees. The smell of rain in the air and an incredible view of the lake. As opposed to barren, brown, flat and empty fields. Scrub brushes and cactus. Strip malls and mega shopping centers. How I made it four years, I will never know.

Not to mention the fact that I was actually proud of my school and life while I was there. As we discussed work and our jobs, I couldn't help but be excited about the place I work and all the good things that are happening there. For the first time in four years, I was not embarrassed or frustrated with my school. I was not dreading going back to work on Monday, and did not have to take part in the endless, brutal gossip circle. I was very unsure of what this year would bring, but in all honesty, I would not change it for the world.