Chicago Adventure- Part I

Hello all! Finally, I am sitting down and revealing our experiences thus far with our big move to the Windy City of Chicago!!! It has definitely been an adventure so far...which is why this will come in more than one installment :). Before we ever left North Carolina, we had loads of help from friends, neighbors...really, anyone walking by that was willing! :) THANK YOU- THANK YOU- THANK YOU!!!!

We rented a 24' U-Haul, and had it packed to the brim-literally. Brad's passenger for the trip was one of our T.V.'s, as the front cab was filled. I drove our Saturn Vue (we only kept one car with the move), which was loaded down as well. Just enough room leftover for Sadie in the back seat and me driving. With the 2 of us working with about 6 hours sleep each for the prior 2 days, we prayed that the excitement of moving would be enough. Little did we know until we were on our way that the gas gauge in the U-Haul was broken...which constantly read that it was on empty. Needless to say, after what seemed like a stop at a gas station almost every hour, it was clear that this was not helping our driving time. Also, the fact that the truck would not go over 25 MPH on any incline did not help with the mountains in NC,WV or VA!! I drove behind Brad in the lane that tractor trailers use with my hazard lights flashing-since those didn't work in the U-Haul as well:). I swear I thought I was going to get run over a dozen times by 18 wheelers that were ZOOMING by me! I thought Sadie was going to go crazy, because she kept hearing me freak out.

So...11 hours later, we finally arrive in Columbus, OH, at Kenny (Brad's brother) & Kelli's house at around 12:30 in the morning. We haven't seen them since Christmas, or their new house (so cute!!!), so we had some catching up to do. After chatting, we finally head to bed around 2:30, only to wake back up at 5:30am. We get on the road, and after 6 hours of straight driving (thank GOD Indiana is so flat!!!), we arrive in Chicago!!!!

After checking in with the leasing office, and parking the U-Haul in the alley behind the building, an agent takes us up to our new home on the 9th floor. We were floored- it literally took our breath away. We have a corner unit with floor to ceiling windows, right on Michigan Avenue, with views of the downtown skyline, 2 blocks from Soldiers Field, and a small view of the Lake. We can even see the ferris wheel at Navy Pier!!! It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with carpet in bedrooms, tile in baths, and hardwood everywhere else. We are the first tenants to ever live there, so we are spoiled once again with everything being so new. It is more on the modern side, with granite countertops, exposed duct work, 12' ceilings, and black appliances. Absolutely perfect!! We also have a balcony that fits a few chairs and our grill perfectly!!!

Brad and I begin to unload, and manage to get the car done before we head off to the airport to pick up my brother, Greg, and sister-in-law, Sandy, who flew in to help us remain sane!!! When we got back, unloading was quickly underway, focusing on the new couch Brad and I bought before we left NC. It is a 3pc sectional...which unfortunately, only 2 of the pieces fit through the hallway of our place. The end result looks great in the space, although we hope that whenever we get a big enough place to fit the entire thing, it all still looks like the same thing!!! As long as Sadie remembers this is not her couch...we should be ok. So that was the first event of many that could have been a sign to surrender and retreat! Be prepared- you are never going to believe what comes next!

To be continued...