I am new to the area of the Gold Coast. I am originally from the suburbs, but moved to Chicago after finishing my BS in Champaign. I moved to the city for a boy. Yes, I said it mom. I had been hanging with the male for two years. Never able to be close to him, one of us always having to travel. In reality he was never going to really date me, but I did everything I could to try to get him to. Presents, cute text messages, saying everything I thought he wanted to hear. I became that dumb girl. The girls I made fun of my whole life. I was in love.
But, he was the best thing that could have happened to me. I could have stayed in Champaign, continued to live an easy life where academics came easy to me and they had the perfect living situation for people with severe physical disabilities like myself. I would have stayed there, finished my MS in Rehabilitation and got a cushy job with cushy benefits working for the State of Illinois. But I had the itch.
For some reason I started looking for other places to go besides Champaign. I was really into jail vocational rehab at the time so I looked at SIU. I didn't feel it was accessible enough for me. The winter before my senior year of college I stubbled across a MS and PhD program in Chicago. It was somewhere to go besides Champaign and hey it was near the boy, down one street actually.
I moved almost instantly after graduation to my new apartment in Chicago. I realized I wasn't here for school, I was here to gain my independent. I wasn't safe anymore. This was no Champaign.
In case your wondering, I'm still friends with the boy but nothing ever happened. I came to Chicago with too high of hopes. Maybe it would be different this time. Maybe he would admit we were more than just friends. Maybe he would introduce me to his parents. No. I got nothing from him, but what he doesn't know is he gave me everything.
After I got over the fact that this dream of dating was not going to happen I was forced to grow up. I started to take my MS program seriously.
Then everything came to a stop. After a stressful battle with the State for care hours, I was hospitalized with pneumonia in both lungs. Feeling like I almost died and what I believe what maltreatment of a patient by hospital staff I developed post traumatic stress disorder. Leaving the hospital I was addicted to Ativan and had severe anxiety attacks, physical flashbacks, depression, and clinical anorexia. This was not the Lynn people loved. This was not the Lynn I loved. I was forced to slow down on school for the semester and live off and on with my parents. But with mental health drugs and rehab, I was back and I had bite.
I wanted to get to know everyone. I developed a whole new set of friends. I was manic, and still am, but I was and am happy.
To make a long story short, I moved away from my area near school and work for several reasons, but now I'm here in the Gold Coast and that combined with my severe addiction to Starbucks is how I met Lee.