I spent my first few days of the great exile in a similar milieu of random - not to say purposeless - activity. I've checked into my extended stay, acquired groceries, searched for apartments, been through orientation and the meeting of co-workers at work... thus far it's seemed very surreal. Like I'm skating over the surface of all of this; a feeling no doubt lubricated by the forthcoming fatty signing bonus and the reassurance that I've got love waiting for me back in Cincy. If I had a therapist they might have something to say about that whole phenomenon and attitude as a coping mechanism.
Saturday evening, with regret, I turned off my audiobook and handed over my credit card at the front desk of my extended-stay. He commented on the irony of how I'm working for Discover, but paying with an American Express. "Havn't drank the cool-aid yet," I quipped. Frightening how easily corporate witticisms return to me. I got some chinese food and discovered that "Krogers" are called "Jewel Oscos" here, and that they're rather nicer.
Later, Rachael and I watched Archer together. That is to say, we tried to sync it up on our diverse playback-devices and laughed with eachother over the phone as we watched on our separate screens. Remarkable how much of a feeling of closeness that shared experience engenders, despite that all we're doing is cackling with a slight delay.
Sunday I wandered around and looked for apartments all over the north shore. My resolve to avoid having a commute is getting increasingly degraded as I look at the real-estate options further south. The towns nearby are fine, but the stuff in Evanston and south of that are phenomenal. I found a place that occupies a whole floor of a building and has balconies that overlook a park, behind which lies Lake Michigan. Its more expensive that I should pay for, but I could, if I wanted to... I think the length of the commute will probably dissuade me from making that slightly unwise decision.
Another slightly unwise decision was avoided for similar reasons: a couple guys seeking roommates found me on one of the apartment search websites I'm registered on. Their offer was tempting; a duplex in a posh outskirt of the city, furnished, with gadgets, granite and wood everywhere. A bonified "really nice place." Some part of me was hoping that I could convince myself that it was worth the commute, but I did a test-drive of it yesterday (in relatively agreeable traffic conditions), found myself pounding on the steering wheel in frustration, and decided it wasn't a good idea. And they had such a nice stove...
Work's been pleasant and easy thus far, time is flying by and no one has really asked anything of me. I had been slightly worried that my boss was gonna sit me down, pull up a chair behind me, fire up SAS, and command me to solve some nightmarish problem on an unknown dataset using SQL and SAS. On the contrary, he's been rather laid-back, giving me a general idea of what he wants me to accomplish and some reports of previous work on the subject. I'm finding myself intrigued by the problems and eager to start testing my skills against them. Sadly, of course, I have to wait a couple of days for the IT issues (like installing the required software on my computer) get resolved. I have some ideas about how to take that into my own hands, though I'm not sure I should push it so immediately.
So like I said: I've been sufficiently occupied that the lonesomeness and alienation of being hundreds of miles away from my loved one and everything else I'm familiar with hasn't had an emotional impact on me yet. I'm sure that once I've settled into a routine and have the presence of mind to take stock of things, I'll be hit by it.
On the other hand, we've got the storm of the century outside, and I just witnessed a phenomenon that's entirely new to me: lightning in a snowstorm. Its been blowing thick and sideways for a good eight hours now, and the accumulation is starting to be significant. But to see lightening in the middle of winter (followed by thunder, just to confirm that it wasn't some man-made strobe) is really a singular experience. Hurray for living by the sea!
Chicago, unlike every other place I've ever lived, feels like a place I could call home for good. Now I've just gotta work out getting Rachael up here...
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