The Chicago Recap.

We’re going to ignore the fact that I haven’t updated this blog, and I am most certainly going to ignore any form of apology because I offer them too often in regards to “90% Munz”.  That being said, I’m back and we’re going to get started.  (I think this is the part where you take a shot.)

Thunderstorms and wet clothes.  That’s my Wednesday evening!  I also have a bit of a cold that I can’t seem to shake, despite the heavy amounts of Theraflu I’m drinking.  I blame my weird diet, my tap water supply and the fact that I can’t tell whether or not I should wear shorts or not.  All you folks who said Chicago’s weather is super weird were incredibly right.  I don’t think I’ve ever been this confused on what to wear in my whole life.  To those of you who haven’t been following along, I moved to Chicago April 21st with the intention of immersing myself in the improv world and trying out a whole new way of life.  In doing so I actually tried a different take on a blog, which ended up being too much work and quite pathetic (though, special thanks to Rachel S. for making a killer header for me!).  So, back to the original blog!

The Bean at Millennium Park. Poor replacement for the Teton range...

I’ve been keeping a bit of a journal here, and wanted to showcase some excerpts so you get an idea of how the transition from a small Wyoming town to the big city has toyed with my head.

• “I feel like I should take up smoking or something.  That way I have something to do other than see depressing movies (The Beaver) and eat.”
• “God, look at me.  Smiling, friendless, wandering around aimlessly looking for some semblance of purpose.”
• “I miss touch.  That’s weird.  But I miss touching people.  It’s the city…  I’m not depressed.  I won’t allow it.  I won’t allow it.  It’s a sad life, but goddamn it, I’m too optimistic to be sad.”
• “I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss the quiet simplicity of Jackson Hole.  The smiling faces.  The love.  The scenery.  How am I going to live here?  What am I doing here?”

Those were excerpts from a few weeks ago.  The first weeks were hard here, there’s no doubt about it.  But I feel much better now, and things have been shaping up.  As seen in the following excerpts:

• “Saw some terrible improv shows yesterday, so I feel like I could push myself to a point of success.  It’s all a matter of commitment.  I can’t give up and don’t want to.”
• “I came to Chicago for a reason.  Not because I’m willing to wait for things to fall into my lap, but because I want to achieve my fucking goals, man.  This is my life and I’m done dicking around.”
• “I don’t have any restraints except my own lack of willpower.  Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.  Always.  Smile, think positive and move forward.  Don’t just move on.  Move forward.”

In other words, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my head and forcing myself to adjust to this city.  It’s a pretty ballsy move to relocate somewhere so far away from home on your own, but the deed is done and now I have to work with what I have.

So here’s what I do have.

I’m working as a food runner at graham elliot restaurant, and am enjoying myself immensely.  It’s hard work, very fast-paced and I have to be extremely focused on what I’m doing.  I’m not entirely sure how much money I’ll be making each paycheck (because I’m not sure how much money in taxes the state of Illinois will rape me of), but I’m confident I’ll be able to pay rent and my bills every month.  I’m nearing the last few weeks of my Level 3 training at iO (improv Olympic), anxious to continue onto Level 4 in June.  I’m living in Lincoln Square, a northern neighborhood of Chicago that is quiet and less condensed than the neighborhoods closer to the Loop.

I’ve read some great books (Moonwalking with Einstein; Savages; Shantaram; Number9Dream), seen some okay films (Win Win, The Beaver, Thor, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and have fallen in love with a new band (The Head and the Heart).

And, the best part of all, I’ll be updating this blog more often now.

Munz.