It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like.....Suburbanites!

Okay, so officially I’ve lived in the suburbs for a year and a half and perhaps up until now I’ve been in denial. I mean Tony and I made an effort to stay connected to our beloved city, that’s been like an old dear friend to us. We made the trek every so often to the non- touristy neighborhood restaurants, the off the path music venues, and festivals the great city of Chicago has to offer. Maybe our visits weren’t as frequent as I would have liked but it was enough to keep me from truly accepting that I do indeed live in the suburbs. I took comfort knowing that our trips to the city were far different from the typical suburban family as we steered clear of Millennium Park and Navy Pier. We scoffed at neighbors who refered to ALL of Chicago as downtown and who believe Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville to be the only neighborhoods that ever existed in the city. Although geographically I lived in the suburbs I considered myself a Chicagoan at heart. That is until a trip to The Lincoln Park Zoo this past weekend catapulted a new reality my way. I’m not sure when it hit me. Was it when we packed up the bags and stroller into the mini suv for the hour long car ride? Was it when I pulled the camera out to take a picture of The Lincoln Park Zoo sign? Was it when we paid the equivalent of a mortgage payment for parking? Was it the sharing of “remember when” stories as we drove threw the old neighborhoods? Somewhere between the lion house and Chicago style hotdogs did the realization set in. I was no longer a city girl and our family was no different from the other countless families that drove in from the burbs that night. As we drove home that evening with the bright city lights behind us I thought of the expression “You can take the girl out of Chicago but you can’t take Chicago out of the girl.” As we create new family traditions, the coming years may take us to city places like the zoo, Wrigley Field and yes we may even take the train to Navy Pier one day. However it’s my hope that we also visit the ethnic restaurants, different neighborhoods, and various cultural centers, and stay true to the Chicago that we know and love….the Chicago that remains in us despite where we live!