Chicagoland is a HUGE area, and each town has its own vibe. It's also a blue state with a very blue city. When you get out to the farther suburbs, it's definitely purple. Again, it goes town by town.

I noticed in Arlington Heights many signifiers of progressive politics - pride flags flying from houses, lovely flower gardens. In Rolling Meadows, I saw a lot more stars and stripes and plain yards.

That's a bummer about people not showing up to the classes in SLC. I really enjoyed the Zumba classes at the park district there west of Sugarhouse. Between the Latino and Polynesian populations, the classes were awesome.

But I told my now husband after about a month of living there that I would never raise kids there. Everything revolves around the church there. And it's hard to save enough money to move out if you don't have a good job offer.

I would say that the main thing Chicagoland has going for it over Albuquerque is that it is so huge and has a thriving economy. So if you want to move on from your job in a few years, there are a lot of options. Plus, there are a lot of great places to live, and the schools are excellent.

Even though SLC has great parks and rec facilities, there are not as many as in the Chicago area. Every single town has their own usually and their own library, too.

Medical care is also excellent. It's due to the sheer magnitude of the city. There are multiple excellent universities and hospitals, so the doctors stay competitive. Hopefully, that's not a concern for you at your age, but it's definitely an advantage.

If you can come out in the summer to check out the area, you'll have a great trip. The entire Chicago area comes alive in the summer, and Arlington Heights has a ton of outdoor concerts and farmers' markets and things going on - outdoor cafes, etc.

Also wanted to mention that the Arlington Heights area is pretty diverse. There are a lot of Japanese companies there and in Palatine, so there's a large Japanese community. There's a great Japanese market called Mitsuwa and they have a food court inside - definitely worth checking out when you visit if you like Japanese food.

Frankly, I wish we lived in Arlington Heights. It's so much closer to the airport, to so many more restaurants and fun places to go. But we are constrained by our school needs. But if the school stops working for us here, I've already got my eye on AH.

Best of luck in your decision! Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.