After living with roommates for the majority of my 5 years in the city, I finally took the plunge over the summer and bought a place of my own. It is an interesting adjustment going back to living on my own, but it has a huge plus side in that I start doing things I wouldn't have otherwise. I love the guitar so I have started taking lessons. If you walk into my place, you might hear Wilco, The Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, and Cold War Kids from my speakers along with some incoherent, yet improving, sounds from my guitar. Stick around long enough, though, and you might also hear Lupe Fiasco and Kanye.

I am a graduate from the engineering program at U of I so I am a huge Illini fan. Being born and raised in the suburbs, I am also a die hard Bears and Cubs fan, and dabble in the Bulls as well.

Aside from the above, I am generally laid back. I still hit up the city bars with friends, but have been finding that the quality of new people I meet at the bars has declined greatly. At this point, I would much rather meet a quality person who enjoys occasionally trying out new restaurants and other things the city has to offer besides booze. I have friends who have met their spouses on Yahoo, Match, etc, so I figure why not give it a shot?

Oh, and bonus points if you are open to travel and outdoor adventures in other states and countries.

I think the ideal first date would be in a location where you can easily hold a conversation, but have some sort of entertainment to fill those "first date gaps" as well... comedy clubs, live bands, etc. Simply meeting up for drinks or coffee is nice as well.