I grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota, just south of the Canadian border. It's full of lakes & pine trees. Our nearest neighbor at that time was about half a mile away. We had 11 acres of land with a big field behind the house & a state forest behind that. On warm summer nights I would take the dog out, lie down in the grass & look up at the stars. You could see everything then--there were no big yard lights--all the stars, Milky Way, even the Northern Lights sometimes. I still miss that part of small town life... But, I guess I've always wanted to try something new, see new places, meet new people, hear new ideas. First, I went off to college in Minneapolis, then after school I worked not far from home for a few years, & then in 1981 I moved to Chicago. My mother spent time in Chicago when she was young, so I heard stories about it all my life. What I like most about big city life are all the different things to do, neighborhoods, restaurants, & especially people from all over the world. I'm still trying to figure out how to have my cake & eat it too: the peace & quiet of the country & the culture & variety of the city. Here's my idea of fun: road trips, spending a couple of weeks in a cabin on a lake; playing card and board games. Watching science, nature, cooking, DIY, sci-fi and mystery programs. Reading thrillers by Thomas Harris, Stieg Larsson; espionage by Len Deighton, John LeCarre. Listening to jazz and classic rock (circa 1965-1975). My favorite song is "Knights in White Satin," and favorite movie of all time is "Ship of Fools". "Pet" causes are animals and social justice. I have a cat, Molly. Bucket List: visit China; ride a horse; own a dog.