Homesick

Today is one of those days where I miss San Francisco so much it hurts. I wasn't expecting to miss it this much when I made the decision to move to Chicago. I'm reading the Bay Guardian's best of issue that just came out, and its making me insane with regret. I love my friends and social life in Chicago, and I have a 'real librarian job' here, but I'm just not in love (or even infatuation) with Chicago yet. Maybe I just need to get out to different places more often. I have yet to be highly impressed with a restaurant, or even been able to compare one here in quality to ones in SF. I wish my friends liked to go out to eat more, as its probably my favorite leisure activity. I miss Jake for that. I have to remind myself I totally didn't take advantage of 90 percent of the things SF had to offer, but what I did do there was special to me.

So with all this sad-sacking it, I should probably make some sort of goal to rectify the situation. First, I need to save up money for a ticket to SF for a vacation. Duh. Second, I am going to try and get to a new place in Chicago once a week, whether its a restaurant or neighborhood or whatever, I need to do it.

And Chicagoans, suggestions on stuff I should do would be much appreciated, as would offers to come with me! I'm looking for Vietnamese restaurants first and foremost, as well as Italian and Mexican, and looking for places to just wander around- good neighborhoods that have some sort of main street with food, independent stores, and coffee shops on it (think Valencia St if you've been to SF).