Life in Illinois

We have been in Dekalb for eleven weeks. It seems like we have been here forever. We are pretty much settled into our new home. ( I'm ignoring those last five boxes) and starting to have a routine. When we moved here we really had no idea what to expect, so here is a little list of things that are better and worse than we expected. Lets start with the not so great.

Not So Great

The humidity! We knew about this coming out, but I had no idea how bad it was going to be. The first month or so in our apartment where almost unbearable.

School facilities. NIU's theatre building is being gutted and remodeled so we are in limbo right now. Classes are spread all over campus, offices and the costume shop are in a VERY old  empty dorm building and we are using a middle schools theater. Not ideal to say the least, but it is teaching us to be resourceful and creative.

Our apartment. I wasn't sure where to put this one. Our apartment suits our needs and is affordable. But it definitely has its down sides. It is really old ( like turn of the century), has no a/c or dishwasher and  is oddly laid out with really weird details. But we are making the best of it and have turned it into a home.

Small town life. Again I wasn't sure where to put this one. It has its advantages and disadvantages.The not so great about small town life is not having things available when you need them. There have been many times when I have wanted to run and pick something up and have found out I would have to drive to another town to get it. There is no mall or major shopping center. But we have a Target!We also have to drive 30 minutes to see a doctor that takes our insurance.

The Amazing!

Small town life. As much as it can be a hassle, I am finding that I enjoy small town life. Things just go a little slower here. There is less traffic ( unless you count the train that comes through town several times a day), and for the most part everyone is very friendly.

Our ward. I love our ward! I can't explain how grateful I am to be in such an amazing ward. It is small and close knit. I know the Lord had a hand in making sure we ended up in the Dekalb ward boundaries.

Our friends. We moved out here with two other families from UVU. We knew this would be a blessing. But I never anticipated what great friendships would develop. It is like having our family here. We have also made great friends at church and at school. My biggest worry about moving out here was being alone. The Lord put amazing people into our lives to keep that from happening.

Proximity to Chicago. We have only gone into the city a couple times so far, but I love that we are close enough to take the train in and enjoy all the great museums, shopping and theatre that the city has to offer.