Apparently, you can go home again....

On Labor Day weekend we made our way back to Chicago - for the first time since we left to move to NYC.

Our initial re-introduction to the city was a little disorienting - not remembering where everything was, the quiet and cleanliness of the "El" compared to the NYC subway, the feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness in downtown Chicago.

After dropping off our bags at our friends' place, we immediately headed south to walk around our old neighborhood, Lakeview. The familiarity began to return and of course, we played the game of what restaurants/shops are still around? Which ones are gone? Was one of our local favorites Ecce Cafe closed? There was no "closed for remodeling" sign posted. Unbelievable! Then the shady sports video store was now replaced by an Argot Tea chain. And there was an American Apparel and a new mediterranean place in the neighborhood.

We kept walking south and ended up at My Pie for some deep dish pizza. Later on, we did some more browsing/shopping at the stores on Armitage and ended the evening with friends and dinner at Cafe Babareeba.

The next day, we had breakfast with friends at S&G and spent some time by the Lake (one of the things we miss the most). Then we made our way to the Ravenswood Tap for some drinks in the afternoon. We then visited some friends who just had twins and bought a home in Wicker Park. Wicker Park was once the "developing" neighborhood seemed so gentrified and yuppie compared to some of the hoods in NYC. We couldn't believe how much space our friends had! So much room in Chicago compared to the real estate in NYC. Later that night, it was time for more deep dish pizza - this time from The Art of Pizza and a couple friends over to watch the ND/Georgia Tech game.

The next day we met up with another couple who also just had a baby (is there a trend here?). Afterwards we hung out in Evanston and later that evening spent some time grilling with friends and competing in a game of Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture edition.

After spending a few days in Chicago, it felt like we were living there again and there was a part of me that did not want to leave. In fact, it was weird being at Midway airport and realizing we were in Chicago but on our way home. Wasn't Chicago home?

But, after spending a couple days back in NYC, I realized I like living in NYC too. After all, you can't compare 7 months to 7 years. Both cities have their pros and cons but it's nice to know you can go home again.