Last weekend two sets of my friends who have been together for nearly a decade became husband and wife. I’ve been honored to watch their engagement journey, so I was excited to celebrate their love with them. I returned from this wonderful weekend of love to reach a milestone of my own. My best friend and I closed on our first home together. 

It’s been a rough couple of months.  

There were many days when I didn’t think it was going to happen. My best friend called to tell me that the house was ours, and I wanted to sleep for a week. 

The possibilities were endless.

I moved to Chicago full-time seven years ago to attend Columbia College Chicago. Columbia College Chicago prides itself on being an urban campus. They claim downtown Chicago is the campus. There are various clusters of school buildings scattered throughout downtown. This being said, I know downtown Chicago well. 

My roommate and I moved to Hyde Park during the second year I lived here. Our goal was always to get back downtown. We downsized so that we could buy a house. The goal was to stay in Hyde Park because we fell in love with the community. It wasn’t in the cards, though. One of the selling points for Hyde Park is its impending historical status. President Obama grew up here. That’s an awesome thing to be able to say. This being said, property managers aren’t willing to make renovations. 

My journey in Chicago has come full circle. I had my first apartment in downtown Chicago, and now my first condo is located downtown. I can’t wait to frequent my favorite restaurants again. I’m excited to be able to have adventures with my best friend. The best part about milestones is all of the firsts. The storm has passed; it’s time to enjoy the sun.

Featured photo by Free-Photos courtesy of Pixabay