One year ago today, Graham and I drove into Chicago after a two-day trip from Phoenix. We arrived at an Airbnb in Logan Square at nearly midnight. We were exhausted but exhilarated at the same time. In the previous 10 days, we had packed, shipped, sold or donated our belongings; said goodbye to friends and family; and arranged for me to work remotely. When I look back at this time last year, I am still shocked at how much we did in such a short period of time. We said yes to an opportunity and went at it full steam ahead. We were rewarded for our big risk (I had never even been to Chicago before) in many ways. Some of the highlights of the past year:
- Being able to see the Cubs’ amazing season from beginning to end. I remember going to Opening Night by myself because I didn’t have anyone to go with. I didn’t dress in weather-appropriate clothing and had to go home early because I was so cold.
- Supporting Graham in his new job and seeing him happy to have made the change.
- Welcoming friends and family to come visit us, including my friend Charlsy, who surprised me by flying in for a weekend. We had the most fun few days of exploring the city. It wasn’t until about that time that I really decided I liked living in Chicago.
- Celebrating our first anniversary. We had such a wild first year of marriage, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
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| Abigail Joyce Photography |
- Living near the lake. We love walking our dogs at the beach and going to Montrose dog beach, and I love running on the lakefront path. It’s the best!
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.