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Moving FAQ

This just in!! Your boy got a new job and will officially be a resident of Chicago, Illinois as of June 22. Here are the basic facts:

I'll be living on Lake Shore Drive in Lakeview (sadly, without an actual view of the lake) six blocks from Wrigley Field and very close to Boystown, which should be great for some unintentional comedy. I'll be working at the QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade) division of Pepsico, which is located downtown. My wife will be working for Chase bank, which is also downtown.

Now, since I know you're just BRIMMING with more questions, here's an FAQ on our move:

So, why the hell are you leaving San Diego?

When I went to interview, this was actually the first question I was asked. Not, why should we hire you, not, why do you want to work here, but what possessed you to move to Chicago from San Diego? So I laid out the various reasons, 1) I felt a little stuck at work, after three years there wasn’t much on the horizon that I could get excited about. There wasn’t much room to move up, or even move laterally. The job market for accountants/financial analysts in San Diego is still pretty small, and from what I’ve gleaned from other people who have come from other companies, there aren’t many good opportunities outside of healthcare/biotech and the ability to move up would be just as restricted after a couple of years. 2) San Diego is far from most of our family/friends. The expense of flying to New York and Dallas is pretty high, mainly because San Diego still has a small airport and it isn’t really a transit stop for many continuing itineraries, end of line, if you will. Because of the Bangladesh trip earlier this year, it will be about a year before I’m in New York or Dallas again. Chicago to New York is big win, and even though strictly speaking Dallas is about as close to San Diego as it is to Chicago, the frequency of flights between the two big hub airports should be a decent sized win as well.

Allow me to digress a bit, as this brings up a corollary question. Since you live in a place with perfect weather, sunshine, beaches, the zoo, Sea World, etc, why don’t you just get people to visit you more often? Easier said than done. You would’ve thought that during the 100 degree summers in Texas, peeps would come on down for some cool Pacific relief. Or during the snow and ice winters back East, peeps would come on down for some sun. No and no. I can understand that because of the time difference and expense (see above) it requires at least a 4-5 day stay. But in my three-year stay here, my parents visited twice, my in-laws once, my brother once, and my sisters-in-law three times. That’s it. For all the wow, you live in such a pretty place, its so nice, so this and that, we got nothing. My in-laws and my parents both lamented the fact that we would be leaving such a beautiful place, well they almost never came to visit, so what’s the point?! Now we are moving to a place that’s basically ensconced in ice for 4 months a year. So there.

No seriously, why are you leaving?

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy decision. But the wife and I needed a change of scenery. We miss our friends/family, and we’re still young, so why not take a stab at urban life? A lot of people move around to cities, different suburbs, and find themselves by the beach near the end of their journey. We kind of did things backwards, tasting the coastal life and now entering the heart of the city, but hey, how will we ever meaningfully decide what’s right for us without testing it out first?

What are you going to miss most about San Diego?

In no particular order:
The constant sunshine and good weather, obviously, but let me be more specific—driving in the late afternoon on Torrey Pines towards Carmel Valley, as you come over the hill and the ocean is shimmering like a second sun and whole world is suddenly awash in a pink-gold glow.

Driving in the late afternoon on Del Mar Heights towards highway 1 and the ocean is shimmering like a second sun and whole world is suddenly awash in a pink-gold glow.

Driving in the late afternoon on the Coronado Bay Bridge towards Coronado, and the ocean…well you get the idea.

Sunset cliffs – An all-time classic spot

Clothes – Being able to wear shorts in January is nice, no way around that

Food – Being born and raised on Tex-mex, I was a bit skeptical about the Baja flavors that prevail in SD, but I must admit I’ve been won over. I will definitely miss the fish tacos and the carne asada with guacamole.

Sign wavers – Businesses all over San Diego, from condo developments, to furniture stores, to collision centers, hire a diverse group of people to stand out on the sidewalk and wave signs imploring passers by to come in. From young skater kids to retirees these people are all over the place. The interesting thing is, there seems to be some sort of code among them, that it’s not enough to just hold the sign up, but you must toss, twist and twirl and perform all sorts of circus tricks with the sign in order to get people’s attention. The best was Hip-hop girl, who had her head phones on and would make eye contact with every car that was stopped at the intersection, wave, then proceed to spontaneously break into a dance number that basically involved humping the sign. I’m gonna miss her.

Cousins – My Mou Apu and Babla Bhai I’ve written about , so let’s just add that there’s NO (zero, zilch, nada) way we would’ve lasted three years here without their hospitality and their company. It was a constant source of comfort. I will sorely miss them. (Tui's cousins Touhid Bhai and Tumpa Bhabi also, they've made everything easier for us out here.)

TV/Sports timing – West coast sports timing is the greatest. 1) We get to roll out of bed and start watching football from 10am all the way to 4pm, and still have time to do other stuff. 2) East Coast and Central night events start at 4 or 5pm and while that means we might miss the start of something because of work, it also gives us a great excuse to cut out early if necessary. On top of that, most regularly scheduled TV shows are shown on delay at their listed East Coast times, so we don’t have to decide between the game and our favorite show.

Nature – Trees, mountains, cool ocean breezes, flowers, all that good stuff will be much fewer and further between in Chi-town.

Driving – Cruising the highways here is pretty sweet, as the ChiPs don’t really pull you over unless you're going nuts or going above 90, regardless of the stated speed limit. Definitely gonna miss that. Of course, I really won’t be driving at all in Chicago since we’ll be busing and training to work every day, which I’m kind of looking forward to.

(Segue to…)

What are you most excited about living in Chicago?

Not driving every day! Even though this involves being outdoors in minus 29 degree weather, for some reason, I love the fact that I don’t have to drive every day, unnecessarily burn gas and accelerate the depreciation of my car. Additionally, I’m looking forward to walking to my favorite restaurant/bar and chilling out, without having to worry about parking and driving back.

Food – Three words: Deep, Dish, Pizza (hmm, Food is something I’m going to miss most, and it’s something I’m excited about, perhaps it’s time to get that cholesterol checked, our new building does have a gym so I can't use the weather as an excuse for not working out)

Sports/Concerts – I no longer have to drive two hours to LA for the best sports and concert events. Case in point, September 23rd, Cowboys at Bears, Grossman! Romo! It’s the NFL on NBC!

In general, Chicago is much younger and more diverse culturally than San Diego, whose population is, to put it bluntly, older and whiter. There should also be more things to do besides just going to the beach. I’ll keep telling myself this in February when my nose hairs freeze just by breathing and my jeans are white at the bottom from walking through salted ice.

My job – I’m not too career oriented a person, but I am excited about 1)Changing industries 2) Working for a company people have actually heard of and 3) Possibly getting free Gatorade. So do your part and go buy some Life cereal, some Sierra Mist soda and some baked Lays.

Ok, now for the most important issue, what about your Rage/Wu-tang tickets?

Let me tell you something…the prospect of missing the Rock the Bells show (from here on out to be known as the GLE, or Greatest Lineup Ever) was the single biggest factor keeping me in Cali. A reunited Rage and Wu-tang plus Mos Def and Talib Kweli and the Roots and Cypress Hill and Nas and Public Enemy and and and!!! Yeah well, I was mentally preparing myself for the agony of giving up these tickets when my cousin-in-law, the famous Bushra, informed me of rumors that Rage was adding a non-Rock the Bells show just for the Midwest. I did some digging and sure enough the website www.ratm82407.com featured two countdown clocks, one to August 24th and one to June 11, when the official announcement was made: Rage was going to play a show with Queens of the Stone Age in East Troy, Wisconsin, tickets go on sale Saturday June 16th! I must’ve built up some good karma in a past life, because the SAME DAY, Rock the Bells unveiled their full tour, including a stop in Chicago on August 28th. I copped the new Rage tickets bright and early Saturday morning and the Chicago Rock the Bells tickets go on sale June 30th . So, while I won’t be seeing them on the same bill, it looks like I’ll be getting my taste of the GLE. Hallelujah Holla back.

So that’s the story, the next adventure for your boy will be taming the urban jungle and braving the frozen tundra. Wish me luck…

****

“They ask me where hip-hop is goin, it’s Chicagoan.”
--Common

Posted by sheelpi at June 18, 2007 05:41 PM