365 days ago my (former) roomie and I started a new life chapter:
The Chicago years.
It happened.
1 year ago today.
I would say I’m shocked at how fast it’s gone by but then… SO MUCH SHIT has happened.
And by shit I mean things.
Relationships, friendships, apartments, family and work dynamics, extra-curricular activities, travels domestically and abroad, animal relocations (roomie’s cat couldn’t stay) and Chicago-based family reconnections, among other things, were all changed or touched for at least one of us this year.
So, yeah. It’s been a busy year.
But let’s turn the focus back to that day for a moment. October 31, 2012.
Looking back, I think the sequence of events for the move went something like this:
1) Wake up at 430AM.
2) Wonder why head hurts.
3) Wonder why we’re on the floor on a bare mattress… oh right. Moving. New state. Hurricane Sandy.
4) Remember dealing with stranded situation by playing beer pong with everyone in building by candle-light.
5) Find cat.
6) Put mattress in trash room on another floor so no one thinks it’s us.
7) Feel guilty for a few seconds.
8) Shrug.
9) Use landline system to call downstairs to ask for little man to manually bring the only operating generator-backed up elevator to the 27th floor.
10) Stealthily begin the escape out of NYC by doing what we were told NOT to do under ANY circumstances: move out. Or leave the building generally.
11) Leave roomie to bring our (my) stuff down the elevator.
12) Walk through pitch black streets to the side of Manhattan with no blackout.
13) Find our beacon of light: Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
14) Rent Suburban.
15) Realize it’s too small.
16) Rent Mini-Van.
17) Suddenly understand soccer moms.
18) Drive through Manhattan streets with no traffic lights.
19) Feel scared.
20) Feel excited.
21) Reflect on the fact that you need a shower.
22) Pull up to building.
23) Convince 4 doormen to risk their jobs by packing the mini-van with all of our stuff.
24) Give doormen handles of Vodka as a going away present.
25) Pretend we’re NOT moving out when manager shows up to work at 6AM.
26) Put cat on roomie’s lap.
27) Drive away.
28) Don’t look back.
Lining the hallway with our stuff so we’d be ready to go in the morning
We drove about 794 miles in 12 hours.
The actual drive was eventful in itself. If I wrote a list of things that happened, I would definitely include roomie’s desire to SING THE WHOLE TIME, roomie trying to make the cat “go” IN the car at the McDonald’s parking lot while in godknowswhere and stopping in quaint Pennsylvania town to eat and then somehow hanging with trick-or-treating preschoolers.
It was a journey. We couldn’t predict hurricane Sandy’s premiere in our life the night before we were supposed to move and we couldn’t predict the past year.
One of our friends in midtown Manhattan had electricity so we went to plug in my computer and phone so I could check work e-mail and ya know tell my family I was alive (and drink water out of a wine glass apparently)
It’s been busy. But the good news is that a lot of things have stayed the same. Like her desire to constantly get me up to do shit in the morning.
Per usual, she forced me to wake up this morning for a breakfast outing – to celebrate our 1-year anniversary in Chicago… before work.
Per usual, I couldn’t get up and was more than late.
Per usual, she was mad but then it was ok after we had eggs and hash browns.
Celebrating the move this morning!
We toasted with sunny side up eggs while sitting in the diner around the corner from my apartment. We chatted about this past year and talked about upcoming plans and then we went about our lives in this city which was new last year but is suddenly so familiar.
Looking forward to year 2 ya’all.
Awesome.
Note: There were 3 of us living together in that last apartment. The 3rd one did not move with us. Something about family and the whole having a great stable relationship with someone who had just gotten into law school in NYC. Still trying to figure out what all that’s about.
Helping other roomie paint
31daysofawesome 
Never give in to the seductive roomy powers of a minivan. On the other hand, you escaped the storm on day 1. Had the rest of us only known, we might have all moved to Chicago with you. In a much bigger van.
HA!! Funnily enough, I had a friend in town that day that had just moved to Chicago and was now stranded in NYC. She asked to drive with us but it came down to the cat or her and Christina (my roommate) put her foot down (shocking I know). A city-wide move to chicago would have been awesome I think. missed opportunities! haha. Happy Friday!
Thanks for the shout out friend – means a lot. Miss you and will call you tomorrow. We need to be better about communication.
Sent from my iPhone
Of course!! Miss you too!!
Of course you’d be moving during a hurricane. I’d except nothing less. When’s my move to Chicago date? Should I move during the next hurricane?
I just burst out laughing!!! I think DEFINITELY. Although knowing you, I feel like no MATTER when you decide to move, most likely there will be a hurricane. Maybe they’ll name it Irene2. Out of coincidence. But yes. Let’s definitely time your move with some kind of natural disaster. Let’s discuss this soon.
Your moving story is much better than any I’ve had. Mine just involves looking at things and saying “I really don’t feel like carrying this, I’ll buy a new one” and then going months without necessities. Seems like you have few if any regrets.
I didn’t include the part where I slept on the floor and only had a mattress for the first 2 weeks. haha. I left everything in NYC!! I feel your pain. It took like 8 months to put my apartment together. Hope the weekend is good so far!
Here’s to the greatest duo since Laverne and Shirley! Or Thelma and Louise.
Congrats, ladies!
wow thanks!!!