Cars, Bikes, Buses, and other things with wheels

The point of this post: transportation in the city and what's the most financially smart choice. I currently own a car; the car that I have had since high school that got me around while at college and got me here to Chicago. Only now, all it does is sit on the streets since I have no use for it. If I want to visit my family in the burbs, i take the train. If I need to get to Point B, I take the bus or the L, or walk. The other day, I got a ticket because I didn't move my car for street cleaning (I didn't see the signs posted since I hadnt used my car in a couple days). At this point, I am thinking its a liability. I do not have secure parking, I already got a ticket, and its just losing money by sitting there. Cars in the city are useless (in my situation). Yes, there are plenty of people who have them, but for me, I have no use. I have decided to sell my car!!!

Bikes on the other hand, are awesome. I just bought a bike off craigslist for only $140. It is a vintage German folding bike. Yes, it folds. Which means I can take it on the buses, L, and the Metra trains whenever I want. And since it folds, I don't have to carry it cumbersomely up three flights of stairs to my apartment and I can keep it in my apartment as opposed to outside where it could get stolen. Also, since it was so inexpensive, if anything happens to it...I didn't lose out on a new $500 dollar bike! I can get places faster than relying on public transportation and its free to ride and good for the body :)

The verdict: sell car, bought bike, but I can walk to work when I want because I live only 1.7 miles away. Yay for city living!!

Job, CHECK! Apartment, CHECK! (As of today)

Just moved into my new Chicago apartment!!!! I live above a sushi restaurant with a wine bar and wine shop across the street. Call me crazy, but I think that it was meant to be. This is so exciting because it is my first real apartment! It's an adorable two-bedroom with pastel colored walls, very CHIC, if you ask me. CHIC in Chicago for sure! I am excited to officially be part of the Chicago scene and all it has to offer. As nice as it was being able to stay with family for my first two months before moving downtown, it is nice to not have to rely on the trains every night to take me back to the suburbs. The public transportation in Chicago is awesome, so I can go anywhere! And I have an iPhone to help me get around, so that's a plus.

Check back frequently for more stories as I acclimate myself with this exciting city!

The Creation of My Chicago Blog: First Post

And again I have changed the focus of this blog. It started off as a blog about what I did in culinary school and then once I graduated I focused on post-graduation stories. Well, I have made the big move onto the big city, CHICAGO!! I am going to have this blog focus on my time here in Chicago as a culinary school graduate; talking about experiences as a restaurant worker, what it is like to live downtown, fun city adventures, and general stories about living in the windy city. It's going to be EPIC!! Subscribe to become a follower so you can see when I write new posts!

The Chicago Chapter

So I have neglected my blog for quite some time. Here is the long story short:

I left my job in Manchester, NH mid-May, packed up my life (minus some memoirs that my mom let me keep in the attic), and then my friend Julia and I drove cross country to Chicago! Why Chicago, you ask? It's Cold!!!!! is what everyone says. Psh, I grew up in NH, I'm tough. I moved to Chicago because the food scene is amazing, and as I told many people, its a cleaner, friendlier, smaller version of NYC, and I have family and friends in the area so its not like I'm moving to a foreign city where I know no one.

I moved in temporarily with my aunt and uncle outside of the city until I found a job and an apartment. After a couple of interviews at various restaurants, I got offered a job at my favorite one! I was using the idea of Goldilocks when talking about how much I loved the restaurant by saying that the other places had either beds too small, porridge too hot, or chairs too big. But this place is JUUUUUSSSTTT Right!

Long story short: I HAVE A JOB!!!!! I'm no longer unemployed!!!

Now I gotta find an apartment...

The Days of Unemployment are OVER!!!

Upon graduating I told myself that I was going to take the rest of the year off from everything (work, obligations, etc). I just needed a break. Well China was certainly a great way to start of life as a graduate. The whole time I was there is was just nice to know that when I returned to NH I was returning to more relaxation, compared to the other times I have gone on micro-vacations and had to return to school afterwards. No returning to reality this time!

So anyway, I got back and continued to relax for the whole month of December. Joined a gym, cooked delicious food, and did a whole bunch of nothing. Certainly a month of recharging the battery.

Well, I met this trainer at my gym who knew a chef at a restaurant in Manchester and she said she would set me up with an interview. I said yes right away to the interview, but in my mind I was thinking, "dude, what happened to a month of relaxation and not thinking about jobs till the new year?" This was clearly a blessing in disguise though because once January did come around I was going to have to start looking for jobs. Rather than start that process of throwing my resume around Manchester, the interview came to me! Thank you Rachel!!!

Interview went swimmingly, went in a couple days later to "stage" (pronounced staaaaj), its a form of shadowing in the kitchen so both you and the chef can see if its the right fit. Well, it was. Got hired immediately, yay!! Guess my culinary education did something for me after all!

They say you can't plan life. I disagree. I did plan on getting a job once 2012 rolled around, I just didn't plan on searching until January until this interview fell into place. So here I am, following my plan. I have a job, its January, I am cooking, and getting paid to do it. Can't complain!

Oh yea, and I would like to thank my mother for letting me live at home for free while I make money that I don't have to spend on rent.