I’m in Chicago. The trip began as a weekend booking for KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE!, and metamorphosed into a vacation with my husband for a week. I love Chicago – I spent about 9 years here, the last five as part of a theater company I co-founded called The Factory Theater (celebration its 20th anniversary this season!) The last time we did KATIE’S CORNER: LIVE! here, it was a smashing success, and my fingers are crossed it will be this time as well.
I love, love, love this city, and miss it terribly. Every time I come back (which is about once a year), I’m reminded of the things I miss – the theater scene (best in the country, and yes I include NYC in that statement), public transit, being among people on a daily basis (In LA I’m either at my destination or in my car. Hardly the social transit of Chicago…), and the weather. I miss weather! I want to wear sweaters and jackets again…
I also miss some things I didn’t have when I was here, but would have if I moved back, so I guess that could be called pre-missing things? Missing in absentia? First on the list is affordable real estate. My husband and I could buy a house right this minute here, in a great part of the city, even considering my under-employed artist status.
We’ve talked about moving here someday, but I think that plan has slowly eroded. Matt loves Los Angeles for all it has to offer, as do I, and he’s only been here 5 years (compared to my 15. God, 15 years. Where did it go?) It would be tough to insist we leave so soon. For all that we would gain moving to Chicago, we’d lose quite a bit as well. The plan for our future we’re building is like a big puzzle, with cost of living +/- social situation +/- where we would live in each city +/- when we could actually put this plan into motion +/- a million other things. Compromises, compromises. Math. Thinking. In the meantime, I remind myself Chicago is dessert when you’re only here a week out of the year. The main course would be much more difficult…and cold…