I'm Not There.

It's a tough life trying to live it up in Paris while reminiscing about Madison but still desperately holding on to my Chicago pride.

And by tough life I mean look how lucky I am.

Seven weeks left in Paris is just the right amount of time for me to perfect the French "rrRrrkhakhkj" sound and convince a local to rent me out a public bike (that I would never realistically ride.)

Come July I can relax, guilt-free, on the big red couch Chez Hindi with a forkfull of Salwa's spaghetti in the right hand and my OnDemand remote in the left. I miiight get up at some point to walk the quarter-mile to the pool or take a train into the city, we'll see.

And then August in Madison. Oh sweet, sweet August in Madison.
I have only two words: Terrace and Bratspatiolongawaitedreunionschipotlepicnicsurbansales-
invitingmyselftoheraldeventswashingtonstreet-
amyscafeapartmentdecoratingfridasbeforesunsetoldcrowdancing-ivoryroomjinstoppersstixandsomuchdonkeykong.

It's a great plan so far, I'm well aware, but it only extends until Doomsday (2010 UW Graduation.) So instead of searching for a graduate school that would allow me to get my masters in Engineering of Tetris, I thought I'd clump all previous paragraphs together into my very own utopia that the rest of you can hunt down for me.

CRITERIA:
It must be a city, but not an overwhelmingly huge metropolis. It must have history. I want it to be easy to meet someone whose greatest greater than great grandfather lived in the same apartment as him. It must include a diner where I walk in and the guy with the apron behind the counter says, "Hey, Jenna! Here are your favorite fried eggs with warm pita bread and a half circle of orange slices. Just the way you like it, Hindi." It must be along some body of water and run by public transportation. I'll walk anyway because I want to forget what it once felt like to lose my car in a parking lot bigger than Camp Randall. It must have lots and lots of delicious local cuisine of every variety and I want Bobby Flay to lose.

It must be warm and sunny. I can do these oh-frost-bite-is-normal winters for only so long. But of course it can't skip Birthday Season (also known by some as "Autumn.")

And it must be populated with very legit people. The citizens will be open-minded and deep and motivated. But they will also be warm and humble. Showing newbies around is expected and being active (at political rallies, at concerts, at dinner) is necessary. I want families and bachelors and students and foreigners. They will be loud and they will smile and they will not care if you're late.


So if you've found this place, or if you'd like to help me boot it up, holla@cha girl.