This is imnotlikethat a blog by michael villasenor documenting his life in chicagoland.

For the past month or so, I have neglected you, poor blog. I spent so much time making you look nice and clean and then just left you to collect dust. Please forgive me. Yes? Okay, now we can move on to other matters.

Well hello again! Yes, Michael lives! Ah but since our last talking, I have encountered many adventures! For one, I am now a resident of the 60614 zip code. Strange, yes? I’ve grown up my whole life with a zip code that included a “9″ at the start, but alas change has come to Michael and I’ve been loving it (most of the time).

During the past month there have been many events that have signified change in both my own life as well as others. For one, both of my siblings (twins), Andrew and Allison, graduated from high school (Ramona Convent Secondary School and Don Bosco Technical Institute) and have been preparing for their own transitions to the college world. Andrew will be attending the California State Polytechnic University Pomona in the fall to major in Construction Engineering and Management and Allison will be attending the University of California, Berkeley with a major in Film Studies. I cannot begin to describe how extremely proud I am of them both, and how quickly they grew up! I can only imagine the feelings my parents have about the fact that all their kids are moving out and on into the world (that is until we need money of course). Melissa has also been doing well (my other sister), performing stand up at various places in both Los Angeles and San Diego. It was great to visit home again and know that things are well and everyone is staying busy.

During most of my stay in LA I read books, played music and engaged myself in the arts. I spent a considerable amount of time studying up on the art of minimalism in web design , in photography and literature. It was refreshing to just disconnect from the “production” side of things and to just embrace the student side of me. That being said, to be “off the grid”, as my USF friend and professor David Silver always encouraged me to do, allowed me to refresh my way of thinking, producing and critiquing both web design and non-web design projects. That being said, having not to worry so much about deadlines allowed me to more fully enjoy my time with my family and better prepare myself for the move to Chicago.

Now, that’s not to say things didn’t get hectic. In fact, as I approached my last day in Los Angeles the anxiety began to build more and more. But once everything was packed (sans the guitars, sadly), and I was on my way, I couldn’t help but realize that if I didn’t adopt a better attitude and outlook about my move to Chicago, then this was going to be a long and exhausting two years (move in for that matter). So, once I arrived I perked up, and did my best to adjust to the climate, the neighborhood and culture. Not far away from the culture of San Francisco, but closer to that of New York (and the East Coast), Chicago is a city unlike any other. Perhaps, it’s now though – three weeks in – that I’ve begun to realize the hidden beauty of this Midwest Metropolis. From the jaw-dropping architecture, to the summer festivals, to the “midwestern friendliness”, I can openly admit that my soul is at peace and I feel very comfortable in this environment. Of course, there are still a lot of changes that are going on, and new people to meet but I remind myself that there is no rush. I must attend to myself first and foremost, paying the bills, those sort of things, keeping busy and developing a daily routine. Everything else will fall into place, much as it did during my transition to San Francisco.

During my time here so far I’ve been able to hang out with my amazing friend, HP and my cousins SC and JN. In addition, my first week here was greeted by some good friends from the Bay Area. It was a lot of fun and a great way to start my tenure here in the Windy City. Also, with so much time on my hands (not so much lately but before), I’ve learned a great about myself. My interests, my ambitions and my quirks. I guess it’s something I never really did much of, that is, getting to know myself. I’ve realized more about my interest in both web design and architectural design and how my style preferences between the two are often interconnected. I’ve also gotten a better sense of my living preferences explorative nature, sometimes I’ll spend 3-4 hours a day walking around the city streets with no destination in mind. So far, Chicago has struck me as an excellent place for an urban explorer such as myself not only because it has so many neighborhoods but also because it is FLAT! It is quite a relief considering the hills of San Francisco.

Anyway, without spending too much time writing this, I wanted to extend my gratitude to everyone who has helped with this transition: whether it be in person or over phone calls. You’ve all helped me more than I can describe.

As for projects, I’ll have to update you later as two of the three have been confirmed but not yet detailed and will begin production on Monday. I am leaving to my uncles today to celebrate the 4th of July weekend, without my computer (gasp!) but I’ll my book and camera handy

Till next time!

I’ll also leave you with a few pictures of my new apartment and city view: