Chicago, for all of its merits, has always carried a bit of a disconnect to my past. In Michigan and especially in New York, I always had friends from my hometown (Melbourne, FL – America’s second booziest city!) to keep me company. In Chicago, I have no such connections. And now that I am living alone for the first time in my life, in a small building somewhat removed from the majority of people I do know in this city, I can’t help but feel a little isolated.
Today, however, I discovered that I am not that alone. While attending an event for the Epicurean Club – of which I am a newly appointed co-chair! – I chatted with a second-year who I’d just met. At some point, Florida came up and she mentioned she was from Melbourne. And as if that wasn’t enough, during a later discussion about the neighborhood we were in, we discovered that not only are we from the same hometown, but we actually live in the same building. I guess I’m not that far removed from home after all.