I Moved Again…A Few Months Ago

Towards the end of summer, I was feeling really down and miserable about where I was living so when my lease came due for renewal I decided to find a new place.  I liked the apartment and the amenities but it was really far away from LIFE to the extent that going to the grocery store took about an hour after navigating traffic, lights, and parking. Not to mention the added time if I needed to go after work during rush hour.

Therefore, in September, I moved to Arlington Heights, IL which is about 35 minutes south of where I was at in Lake Bluff, IL but the two areas couldn’t be more different in regards to nearby businesses and things to do.

It’s funny how having grocery stores and such far away can have an affect on your after work routine, weekend plans, etc. It’s something I’ve never had to worry about living in only small towns where all the businesses are relatively close by or only a few minutes worth of driving with no traffic.

Here in Illinois, the driving is a big chore since people are crazy on the road and seem to have no sense of patience, manners or general driving ability.  I don’t think I will ever get used to the fact that waiting in the intersection to turn left while the light is green is common practice, legal and, so I’m told, taught at driving school.

I’ve always thought the legal, courteous thing to do is to wait at the line while you watch drivers come toward you and then when you see an opening to turn, proceed through the intersection swiftly.  But here in Illinois they teach that concept a bit differently. It is honestly the scariest thing to drive up to an intersection going 45-50 mph to find an impatient driver sitting there in front of you slowly nudging forward to turn left from the opposite direction. God forbid if the light is about to turn yellow which, as I have gathered, is the universal signal to turn left in an intersection. Never mind that I have the right away and will run through that yellow light….  Ok, rant over.

Back to the move. Yes, I moved to Arlington Heights in September. I love the little apartment which technically is the same amount of square footage as the old place but the layout is way better and more conducive to storage options.  I actually have a living room now whereas before I only had boxes, a sewing table and Coil’s crate in the living room.

I even got fancy with decorating which isn’t something I’ve put any energy into for about 5 years, before I had roommates, since who wants to put effort into something that’s going to get destroyed by other people.  I’m especially proud of the DIY upholstered ottomans that I found at goodwill for $5 and spent $20 in fabric/foam to recover.

My new living room! Work space is to the left out of picture. p.s.the door leads to a utility closet.

That’s really about it. The boring life of Sarah in Illinois continues day by day.  I’m still really enjoying the job I moved out here to do. And even a blossoming romance is starting to take shape..but I’ll leave that topic for another time.