In the past, I’ve told friends and acquaintances that I would rather live in Chicago while going to school than in Milwaukee. Though often classified as a “big city,” Milwaukee feels tiny in comparison to Chicago. Thus, I’ve often felt cheated while at school, in that I’m in a middle of a town large enough to be classified as a big city, yet there is an absence of large buildings and that huge feel that Chicago has. After a visiting Chicago for the Nth time yesterday, these feelings changed.

Sure, I’ve been to Chicago many times in the past. Growing up only 30 miles west of the city, I had lots of opportunities to drive and take the convenient Metra commuter train downtown. I always found it exciting and invigorating to see the big buildings and walk around feeling as small as a mouse among men. While this feeling was no different yesterday, seeing all sorts of crazy traffic, hearing drivers blare their horns at one other, and getting cut off as a pedestrian made me appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere here in Milwaukee.

However, I still wouldn’t classify Milwaukee as small. Traffic jams still occur at rush hour, especially with all the work on the Marquette Interchange still being in progress. I’m excited to be graduating in May and am eager to move out of the downtown area. Don’t get me wrong – MSOE is in a great neighborhood that is doing nothing but improving – but the suburbs are more my style.

For those of you who I haven’t already told, I recently accepted a position for post-graduation employment as a Software Developer with Milwaukee-based Metavante, the technology subsidiary of M&I Bank and creator of all sorts of banking-related software. Since the headquarters and the main development office are both located out of the downtown area, I plan to move into a nearby suburb such as Wauwatosa or Menominee Falls after graduation. Adam and I plan to live together, at least until he and Donna get married, which is doubtlessly inevitable.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little update on my life. I apologize for the absence of posts, I just haven’t felt much in the writing spirit lately. All the interviewing I did last quarter, in addition to my normal load of schoolwork, proved to be quite tiring.