End of an Era.

Well I am happy to report, my forced vacation is coming to a close. On Monday May 7 around 5:21PM I got the news that I have been officially hired! I am now the General Planner for the City of Evanston. I will get into more details about my postion in the coming blog posts but I wanted to take this time to talk more about what this blog is going to be.

I started this blog when i worked for a private consulting firm that took me to various places around the United States. Said travel afforded me frequentl flier points which allowed me to travel to other destinations for pleasure. I love to travel, I love experiencing new places and people and sights and sounds. Now that my new job will require less travel it is up to my own time to seek out this hobby. Therefore, OTPIMG will be a blog not only about traveling but about the city that I call home and I love dearly, Chicago. Chicago, the Windy City, City of Broad Shoulders... City of Adventure?!? We shall see.

Spring in Chicago. Nothing evokes bigger smiles than those three words to winter weary Chicagoans. Gone are the 40mph winds and blowing snow and -12 degree days BEFORE the wind chill factor. Gone are the endless days of clouds and the dread of having to put on 12 layers to go outside to walk the dog. Yes Spring in Chicago is a life altering time. The Lakefront Trail that saw only the most dedicated runners and bikers during the winter sees the return of weekend and week night warriors back, jamming from end to end. Another Cubs season starts. Will this be the year? Many are hopeful, most are just wanting a good hot dog and cold beer and a winning day at the park.

Beaches are open, trees are in bloom, every sidewalk is crammed with people rushing to accomplish their daily tasks so that they can go soak in the bit of sunlight left in the ever longer days. Downtown, the Mag Mile is flush with flowers, even in this economy, enticing people to stroll, not sprint, past the stores and maybe buy an item or two. River boats are back schleping tourists around boasting our awesome buildings and amazing feats of engineering that is the Loop. Yes folks, spring is here and in full swing in Chicago.

What have I done for my adventures lately? Well to be honest, not much. I just got this new job, so my life has kind of rebooted, much like the city itself does every year during this time. I have a new apartment, which I will post pictures of soon. I have a new job, and I have a new lease on life. I enjoy my career as an urban planner and I hope to be the best urban planner for the City of Evanston in the coming years. It is my chance to shape a small city of 75,000 into a shining example of how suburban satellite cities can be just as exciting and urbane as the economic powerhouses they surround. That is my adventure right now folks, figuring this out. Stay tuned, more to come in the following days, I hope to post at least every other day while working but this week you will get a post every day.

With you always,

C