Living the dream…

And I don’t mean that ironically! Last month, I accomplished a huge milestone, well, three, really.  After months of online research and soul searching, I was able to buy a lovely flat outright. That was dream #1; dream #2 was to have a home with unobstructed  water views. This was something that I’ve been wishing for most of my adult life and I’m pleased as punch that I finally achieved it. The 3rd dream was to have green space right on my doorstep, as I wanted the ability to wake up and start each day doing something active, either with a jog, long walk or cycle. So where is this dream-achieving flat, you ask? Chicago! It’s a helluva town! 

Speaking of ironies, during the 11 1/2 years  that I resided in San Francisco, I was thrice offered a professional opportunity in Chicago. Funnily enough, I turned all of those down, as I didn’t want to deal with mid-west winters. But here I am now and quite pleased my choice! The major different this time, is that I have the freedom and flexibility to leave during winter, if I choose. It is wonderful to once again live in a culturally diverse city; one that’s vibrant and fun-loving! 

The lesson in all of this, is that you must trust the process and hold fast to what you want. Even when it’s all falling down around your ears or when you’re overwhelmed by making the decision. Over the past year, I spent an inordinate amount of time rationalizing where to go and what to do. Much of the involved a lot of hand wringing and even trying to convince myself of a specific place, because it made sense on paper. Honestly, Chicago wasn’t really on my list, mainly due to the winters, and I assumed that it was unaffordable.. However, a chat with a good mate in March who was going to Chicago for work, reminded me that I quite liked the city.. 

So, I went back to my journal and looked at my “dreams” list” and once again, spent some time checking in with myself, continuing to ask myself what I wanted. Once again, I was trusting the process and trying to tap into that inner voice that we all possess, but frequently ignore. A few weeks later,  I decided to take a quick trip to Chicago in late April, a reconnaissance mission, if you will. I’d seen a ton of affordable flats listed online, but there’s no substitute for seeing the neighborhoods in person. I had no intention of doing anything but looking, because I still had tenants living in my Portland house until June.

I saw 20 flats over 2 days, and I couldn’t believe what you could get for your money, relative to other cities. I took some time to explore the city, as I hadn’t visited in a few years and it felt so comfortable to me. There are people of every color and I heard so many different accents, from all over the world. That inner voice whispered to me that maybe I should move to Chicago, but I thought, what about winter?! One of the things on my list is 300 days of sunshine! I couldn’t possibly as it doesn’t meet the criteria. So I ignored that voice and went back to Portland. 

However, that positive feeling I had when walking around Chicago stayed with me. Once again, I decided to trust the process, so I looked at my list, meditated and tried to rationalize my next steps. But that inner voice, that place of knowing, had already told me what to do. I just had to trust it. Chicago would fulfill many things on my list, with the only compromise being weather, which I could deal with by traveling in winter.

Happy days!!!