I flew home to New Jersey late last night after six months without visiting – I’ve traded my high rise for a farm house and the hustle and bustle of the city for crickets for the next few days.  It amazes me how much a long distance move changes things and how the longer you’re away from somewhere the stranger it feels when you return.  “Home” is something that has changed a lot for me over the past year, with each trip back to New Jersey feeling a little less like home and a little more like just “where I grew up” – my small town suddenly feels smaller than ever and I feel myself growing even more confident by the day in my decision to make the eight hundred mile move out to Chicago.

Sorry, New Jersey – I’m not yours anymore.  You’ve got nothing on the Windy City except pizza, bagels and Taylor Ham.