It has been a full year since I last posted on 56AndTheCity, packed up all of our belongings, and transported our lives back to where it all began – Chicago.
I’m not sure what prevented me from sharing more consistently, but here I am. So much has happened in these past 12 months.
In that post, the one I wrote one year ago, I spoke of a book my Ashay gifted me, in which writers spun their tales of falling in love with New York City and then deciding the time had come to leave it. And then, 365 days ago, it was my turn to tell my tale.
From the year I turned 17, I had firmly decided that Manhattan was where I was destined to create art and live my wild, untamed, vibrant life. The truth, however, is that it was never where I was meant to be.
Do not mistake me; I loved it there with the whole of my heart and every fiber of my being. But where I belong, as I have always known, is with my loves. And now, Chicago is where all exist, together, our family.
A lot can happen in a year.
We moved into a condo on the 47th floor, where the view is spectacular, the plumbing is sketchy, and on a windy night – and there are many here in Chicago – the building creaks and sways. In the beginning, it kept me from slumbering, fearful that our building would come tumbling down.
But, as Ani DiFranco says…
Buildings and bridges
Are made to bend in the wind
To withstand the world
That’s what it takes.
In NYC, I was genuinely struggling, and gigs were coming few and far between. I had nothing holding me back, nothing keeping me there. And so, with this move to the city by the lake, I had only hoped that somehow I would be able to stitch together a life resembling my “good ole’ days.”
And just like that, I landed a contract just days after arriving, performed a few times with dear artist friends, and had the best time choreographing two musicals with a youth theatre company. In some ways, Chicago has welcomed me back. She’s still making me work for it, but I accept that. I’ll keep hustling until there is no hustle left in me!
Life has also thrown us some ruthless curveballs. We lost the best of us – our furry love, Sami, the greatest dog this side of the Chicago River! We are all still brokenhearted, and his companionship and presence are missed every single day.
So here I am—a more seasoned human being than the young woman who once roamed these streets seeking excitement, art, and love. I’m still learning lessons, but that is for another post. And I’m still seeking excitement and art. I’ve reconnected with old friends, visited some of our favorite spots, and discovered new gems!
I pretty much have the love part solidly nailed down!
I just have to remember, on those darkened nights when the wind is blowing and the building is swaying, to recite these lines…
What doesn’t bend breaks.
What doesn’t bend breaks.
Happy 1st anniversary, you crazy Windy City, Chicago.
Let’s dance, shall we?
56AndTheCity2.0 