You Do You

I recently got back from visiting a very close college friend in San Antonio.  Whenever I visit her, I feel like I get all the uncertainty in my life sorted out and I have a ton of homework to make myself happier.  She is one of those people who is not content unless she is learning something new, and every time I am with her I am fascinated by all the new things she was able to soak in.  I remember in college when we were roommates I would go on and on about how much I really wanted to visit Italy.  I'm Italian, and I think I'll love it there.  One day she had enough and burst out, "Just go there! Just plan it and go!"  I was appalled.  And then I went.  I studied abroad in Florence Italy and learned to draw.

The first night immediately after I arrived we decided it would be a good idea to have a martini and catch up ... and then we had ten.  The newest thing she had learned is that ... you can live wherever you want to live.  She just decided one day she was unhappy with her environment, it was time to find a new one.  I'm not sure why I never thought of this.  If you don't like your city ... find one that has the things you like.  Cost of living, business opportunities, types of people living there, family friendly, out doorsey places, foodie towns, literally whatever you want to look for you can.  I have always pictured myself a midwestern city girl destined to be in Chicago.  But the truth is ... I hate (despite the fact that I just went out and had 10 martinis in one sitting) going out and getting "wasted".  I don't love how expensive everything is.  I hate with an undeniable passion city traffic.  I love Chicago so much, but could I find something that I love more?  Probably ... San Antonio has no traffic, everything is so cheap I felt like the richest person ever, tons of shopping, everyone is very community based, constantly full of outdoor activity.  My friend calls it "You do you."  You come here and be open and be yourself and everyone will accept you and have a good time.  Also ... The guys are different.  They open doors, they call you mam, they let you go in front of them, they get your coffee, they buy your drinks.  I love this.

It turns out, I don't have to change myself to adapt to the place that I live, I can change the place I live and be myself.  Now I have homework to research the city components that are most important to me, and perhaps I will search for an internship there.

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