Have You Ever........

So Brandy's song Have You Ever came on my Pandora station today while I was working and I immediately got a little sad.  It's been 9 days since I left Atlanta and the people I care the most about. I especially miss my boo. I'm wondering when this feeling will end. Hopefully soon because this is a bit too much of the emotional side of myself. 

And finally.....

IT'S THE RIBTIPS..........

After the party Saturday night I decided that Sunday would be a day to chill. If any of you all have been to Chicago in the summer, then you know there is always something happening. Outside of my complex right on the block happened to be an annual RIBFEST. All people from the south that love meat (👍) love some ribs. You know I wasn't going to miss this. They closed down a portion on the Main Street and had all kinds of rib companies, musicians, acts and whatever else you could imagine. But the best part was that it was basically FREE to enter. They just asked for donations. 

Ribs, funnel cake, and a lemonade made for a perfect Sunday night dinner. I gotta gain some control before I blow TF up. The ribs were so good that I forgot to take a picture but at least I got the funnel cake. Y'all know I'm a foodie smh!!

Grits and Biscuits or Biscuits and Grits?!?!

To start off my first weekend in the Chi, I went to this party called Grits and Biscuits or Biacuits and Grits, whatever it is called.  It was an ode to down south music and fun. I was expecting to see some real wild and crazy activity because  everybody that I know from the south has a little bit of ratchetness inside of them including me. LOL

I found out about this party from a guy that my dad introduced me to from Morehouse.  Meeting new people in a new city has its challenges, but I am open to meeting as many people as possible. He and his friends were extremely cool to be around because they are young professionals like me and trying make ish pop for themselves. Anyway, we get to this party and it is turnt. I really enjoyed myself for two reasons. 1. There wasn't this obnoxious smell of weed all over the place and 2. I didn't feel like I needed to fight anybody as that is always the case when I go to a club. 

So overall my first night out in Chicago was trill and I am really starting to like this city. 

My New Home

So many of my friends are wondering what my spot looks like. They were worried about the location and the side of town I was on and a multitude of other things. Here's the run down:
1. I live on the Northside of Chicago near the lake in the Uptown District.
2. I live in a loft building with about 22 other residents total.
3. I live on the top floor of the building so there isn't anyone above me!
4. I have indoor heated parking with a guaranteed parking space
5. Most importantly, this neighborhood makes me feel safe. So that is all I can ask.

I really like my place now and I look forward to visits from the ones I love the most. Below is the link to the video as I cannot load it onto this blog for some reason. More post coming about my first week in a new city!

Chitown Is A Callin: http://youtu.be/QGnvaxrL1Kg

Preparing For The Big Move: The Chaos and The Calm

Packing Absolutely sucks.  I HATE IT. I never realized how much stuff you accumulate over time. Even after taking a lot of items to Goodwill, I still had way too much stuff SMH. The realization that I was not going to be coming back to my home everyday really sat in. I was about to shake up my whole world and move away from all my friends and family. This really made me sad, but with life comes change and this had to occur. Check out my videos of me packing up my house for the Big Move.

L.I.F.E: Stay or Go

Throughout this thing we call life we will reach various crossroads and have to make many difficult decisions. At the age of 25, I reached a crossroad that would prove to be one of the most challenging. In late March 2013, I decided that I wanted to do something different with my life. My initial plan was to go back to school and get my Master's in Global Hospitality Management or the next option would be to find a career that allowed me to travel extensively. 

To make a long story short, I was offered a position within my company that would allow me to travel extensively but I would have to relocate to Chicago, then a month after I was offered the position I received my acceptance letter to Georgia State University for my Master's Program. My mind went into OVERLOAD, WHAT DO I DO?????? I literally got what I prayed for and had to make a decision. To choose between relocating my life to a place known as the Murder Capital of the US or to go to school and finish the last major step of my education.

After a lot of prayer and conversation, I decided that I would make the big move to Chicago because the opportunity to advance my career while traveling was one that I couldn't pass up. My thought process is that I can always go to school, but may not get an opportunity like this again. 

So as I embark on this journey I decided to create a blog that will give you a glance into my life in Chicago and experiencing a new culture outside of my hometown of Atlanta. As my DBG crew would say live L.I.F.E which stands for Leadership, Integrity, Foundation, and Experience and at this point I am trying to Experience Life, so check it out. I will be posting videos, blogs, and any information I come across that I find interesting. 

Johnathan