I just had a great weekend.

For all the melancholy regret that I’ve had regarding not being in California, this weekend gave me ample reason to be glad to be a resident of the Chicagoland area.

We got to spend quality time with some of my husband’s best friends, who are quickly becoming some of my good friends, and we also had a good cookout with the family. The requisite number of charred hot dogs to be eaten for the holiday were achieved and then some, and I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to be comfortable here.

There are things in Chicago/Romeoville that are just missing from our experience right now that we had in abundance in Los Angeles: sweet, healthy treats like Robeks and Pinkberry, savory noms like the Ethiopian food at Messob and our favorite Mexican haunts, Tres Hermanas and Casa De Ramos, and fresh sushi isn’t nearly as easy to come by either. I miss the rolling hills and the beach, my friends, and the feeling of being where “it all happens.”

But in trade, things here are laid back and calm. We’ve got a beach by a freshwater lake, so I hear, Hot Doug’s encased meats are an amazing treat, and while Mr. Taco’s tacos aren’t the same as those at Tres Hermanas, their nachos are nothing to sneeze at. I can survive with Jamba Juice as a Robek’s replacement, and even make my own smoothies at home.

Not to mention, the gaming community in the Chicagoland area is much stronger. It’s much easier to find folks who like to roll a D20 (or D10 even), and who get together for LAN parties, because this place comes pre-loaded with friends who are bigger gamers than I am. Geeky me, I feel like a n00b from time to time. 🙂 At least I finally have a copy of Halo to practice with…

And I’m not the only musician in our group, which is also a good thing! Our living room right now makes me smile: You can’t help but think about (and practice) music when you’re faced with a piano, a drumming practice pad, 2 guitars (mine and Adam’s), a bass guitar (Nick’s), and a RockBand setup (Vdrums & 3 USB guitars for the Xbox).

I think my favorite thing about living here right now is that I’m remembering that life doesn’t have to be a constant treadmill of checking off a “to-do” list. It can be a celebration. You can spend your time doing things that you enjoy, sprinkled here and there with things that need to be done in order to continue to do those things that you enjoy.

To that end, I’m bleaching my hair again and dying it blue, because it makes me and Adam both happy and it’s fun. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to spend a ridiculous amount of time playing video games and practicing guitar today because I can.

I hope everyone reading this is doing well! I know I am. 🙂