People have been asking me questions about this whole going-to-Chicago thing, so I put the answers right here where you could find them. Only I realize that I made all the headings start with "On" and that they're really not questions at all. Oh, well. Enjoy!
On leaving town
So yes, I’ve got an ocean to cross on Sunday, damn it. The last week has been a blur of researching stories and writing pitches. Then throwing it all down to run to the doctor or get my hair cut or give damned tutoring lessons. (Paying the bills! It’s so annoying!) I hear Guigui and Jeanne are rustling up goodbye drinks for me tonight. Hope I can make it.
On the state of blog
Through Thanksgiving, it’s going to be hard for me to remember my name, much less blog. And in case anyone work-related is reading this: worry not, I’m not going to talk about that stuff here. But people, we are on a tight deadline.
On preparation
Purchased: vitamins, tape recorder, dop kit (so as to be a tidy houseguest), gym membership, American cell phone, and a guide to Chicago--all so I can hit the ground running. But you can’t think of everything. I hate that.
Oh, and I also bought about 80 pounds of Leonor Greyl hair products I can't live without these days, (thanks for getting me hooked, Amy), but that's really not work-related. More of a vanity thing.
On the destination
People have asked if I have family in Chicago. Nope, Chicago was the city I chose to make my home out of college. I worked as a fact checker at Chicago magazine in 2003 and loved it (the work and the city). But still, I was all set to move to New York at the end of the year because, well, seemed like the thing to do. The idea to move to France had never, ever occurred to me, until a conversation with an editor on my last week of work, in which she said “You should move to Europe or something,” and “we all wish we had done it before we had insurance packages to leave behind.” She made it sound downright practical! I remember feeling very strange because this wasn’t in the plan, but I could see that she had a point. When I came into work the next day she told me, “My husband thinks you should move to France, too.” She was half-joking. And I was all, “Uh huh, yeah. I’m totally going.”
On room and board
BLIND ITEM: What Northwestern graduate student’s couch will I be crashing when I'm in Chicago?
And now you all know about as much as I do.
I love posts like that, bc I was genuinely wondering about all the stuff you'd have to do to prepare...are you able to sublet/keep your LQ apartment? Bon Voyage!
Posted by: Jillian | 10 November 2005 at 06:44 PM
I'm keeping the apartment but have lined up a few friends to stay here.
Posted by: Coquette | 10 November 2005 at 07:17 PM
Damn,woman-- sounds like you have your sh*t together!
Posted by: Elizabeth | 10 November 2005 at 07:27 PM
Am I totally ignorant not knowing what a "dop kit" is? Must be lingo of the jet set I haven't yet acquired.
Posted by: La Dauphine | 10 November 2005 at 08:11 PM
Are you flying Delta, by chance? If so, please check out their Sky Magazine. There is a full-page photo of my gallery in the November issue in the article on Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. It's tres chic for the moment, apparently.
Posted by: La Dauphine | 10 November 2005 at 08:15 PM
now if only i was that together for when i leave for france!
Posted by: aryn | 10 November 2005 at 09:33 PM
How about when you don't have time to blog, just taking a photo of something outside your window -- or a photo of your hand holding a pen, just to keep us involved?
Posted by: Neil | 10 November 2005 at 11:21 PM
Oui, oui, random photos of what you see would be good
Posted by: Andrea | 10 November 2005 at 11:32 PM
Sorry/you're very welcome.
I wish I knew cheaper products to get hooked on.
I do know of a great bargain in LA. Threading instead of waxing. Hillary Johnson, my friend I call "the beauty intellectual" recommended it. She writes business stuff for serious busines magazines and then beauty stuff for LA Times Magazine...all of it very smart. Anyway, she sent me to Enessa, in Los Angeles (Enessa.com). Luba, who was great, worked on me...gave me an amazing facial, too. I highly recommend it if you come to town. I don't know if she knows anyone in Chicago, but her beauty blog is http://jackandhill.typepad.com/
Bon travail en Chicago, cherie. Look for the lady I told you about at the Sun-Times. Email me if you forgot her name. She's very nice and you should go meet her and get her to let you write about Paris from Paris.
Yours in deep superficiality and solidarity, -The Advice Goddess
Posted by: Amy Alkon | 11 November 2005 at 01:41 AM
I just got back from Chi- town...last week! Have a blast, Coquette. It's a shame you can't tell us about your work there - you konw that we are curious!
Posted by: Sammy | 11 November 2005 at 10:31 AM
Sammy, I'll see what I can do! I'm writing multiple stories which I will FOR SURE scan for the blog when they hit stands in February!
La Dauphine, Dop kit = non-gender specific term for toiletry bag.
Posted by: Coquette | 11 November 2005 at 10:35 AM
say hi to the student :)
Posted by: schuey | 11 November 2005 at 01:05 PM
If you'll be recycling and will consider requests from favorite posts, some of mine are:
-The one where you met that shopkeeper girl
-Stop touching your hair
-Hotel Costes
-The one about your dad and soccer
Posted by: La Dauphine | 11 November 2005 at 03:24 PM
Happy travels!
Posted by: Gloria | 11 November 2005 at 08:28 PM
We miss you already! Good luck in Chicago!!
And, for les amis de la coquette:
http://www.frappr.com/lesamisdelacoquette
Posted by: Aimee | 12 November 2005 at 08:01 AM
One last question: how long are you going for? (did I miss this somewhere?)
Dazzle
Posted by: Just Dazzle | 12 November 2005 at 02:55 PM
I'll be in Evanston for Thanksgiving!! Yay for Chicago! :) Unfortunately not applying to Northwestern for grad school like your friend, but hopefully living in Chi-Town a year from now.
Posted by: April | 12 November 2005 at 06:02 PM
I'm looking forward to posts after Thanksgiving. Hope you have a great time in Chicago.
Posted by: Dagny | 14 November 2005 at 04:56 PM
I'm looking forward to posts after Thanksgiving. Hope you have a great time in Chicago.
Posted by: Dagny | 14 November 2005 at 04:56 PM
I haven't been reading long and now I hear you are leaving Paris. And I had so many questions for you such as
Should we do the opaque pantyhose/coloured shoes combo?
Is the knitted capelet "sortable"
Once you are in Chicago (is it the Midwest? I can do pantyhose vocab but not US geography) are you going to forget fashion? It would be so, so easy....
Posted by: Flighty | 14 November 2005 at 05:03 PM
Chicago is the place to be for Thanksgiving! I'll be there, stalking you two.
Posted by: Crni | 16 November 2005 at 06:41 PM