My name is Claire Bidwell Smith. I am 29 years old and I live in Chicago.
I moved here a week ago from Los Angeles where I lived for five years. Until today I've been blogging on a site called Life in LA which I originally began in June of 2003.
I moved to Los Angeles five years ago from Manhattan. My father was living in Orange County and dying of cancer. I spent my first year in LA taking care of him, and working for Vanity Fair, Citysearch and Student Traveler. My father died in August of 2003.
I moved to Venice Beach after that and lived in a beautiful little apartment on the canals. I'd never lived by the beach before. At night ocean air flooded my bedroom windows and I could hear ducks quacking themselves to sleep beneath the bougainvillea covered bridges. I spent four years living there and recovering from the loss of my last parent.
I traveled a lot. I worked for 826LA. I went back to school and got a Master's in clinical psychology and became a therapist. I wrote a book.
And then I fell in love. And decided to move to Chicago.
I've only been here a week. I live in East Lakeview. My apartment has a lot of windows, high ceilings. I can't really imagine what winter is going to be like. I need to get a job. I've spent a few afternoons crying but that's starting to seem pointless.
I live in Chicago. I'm young. I'm healthy and happy and my whole life is ahead of me.
