Post Experiment Summery

Well kids, my time in the Windy City has temporarily come to an end. I am back in Florida enjoying the warm weather, especially since it hasn’t been insufferably hot like it was when I left.

I look at my trip as time well spent, and though I have returned (for now) to Florida, I found that I can go out on my own and make a home for myself. I conquered a lot of fears and I have grown from the experience. I also love Chicago and can still see myself there when the time is right (read: job!)

Cold weather is still new to me, and I didn’t experience living in snow; both things that will come with time, but overall, but not impossible for this Florida girl. The “Big City” is also not as scary as everyone makes it out to be. I can honestly say that I never felt unsafe while in Chicago.

As far as making friends and meeting new people go, that’s where I grew the most. I have never been an outgoing person – I basically learned early on to put on this act to make people like you (aka how to survive growing up in Seminole 101.) This façade worked pretty well with the Alumni group I linked up with, but lucky for me I found a girl much like myself out of this group and we became fast friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sorority and the alumni, but you’re not going to click with each and every one of them.

I went out with my friends in the city not knowing a soul (besides the ones I went with and generally they didn’t know anyone either so it was kind of perfect.) I basically decided that I don’t care if anyone likes me or not – I’m just going to be me, if they like me, fantastic, a new friend, if not, I didn’t need them anyways. It scored me a lot more attention than I usually garnered going out and that was entertaining in itself... I’m sarcastic and outspoken, get used to it.

Finally, I met most of my goals but I did not get a job. Maybe that’s for the better, only time will tell. I did find places where I would be happy to call home in the city. I was very social but I didn’t meet anyone significant. I’m in better shape than when I left (and getting even more in shape every day.)

Essentially, I think this experience was a great way to find myself for the first time in months, maybe even years actually. I finally feel like the person I was before everything seemed to take a turn for the worse, and I’m happy to be back and reconnecting with friends and making new ones. I think this is the beginning of a new ear and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

I am starting a new blog, which I will link to on here when I have it up and running. The reminder of this month is going to be dedicated to trying to get to my 50,000 words into my novel before NaNoWriMo is over and then I will start to focus more on a new site. Thanks for reading my journeys!