I lived in Chicago for five years in a small apartment. It was centrally located within walking distance of all sorts of shops, restaurants, theaters and salons. I liked having quick and easy access to all sorts of activities. Although my job switched to entirely online, I had no plans of moving. I was happy in the city. Then I found an abandoned puppy and brought him home with me. I got attached to him very quickly and couldn’t stand to give him up. At first, having a puppy in the apartment was no problem. I’d take him for walks in the park for exercise. My puppy grew very quickly and turned into a 165 dog with a lot of energy. He was destroying my apartment. I realized I needed a bigger living space and more property. There was no way I could afford anything like that in the city. I started looking around at houses and found the perfect spot in Elgin. I bought an older house with a lovely front porch and a big backyard. I found a fence company to enclose the yard so I can let my dog out to play without supervision. I was delighted to find a dog park nearby. Plus, several of the local nature preserves allow pets. My dog and I have walked, hiked and ran all throughout Elgin. At first, he just about pulled my arm right out of the socket. However, with some practice, we’ve gotten comfortable running together. He and I head out for a run at all times of the year. Elgin has turned out to be the perfect location for me.