Why did Andrea spend time living in Chicago in the novel, All Grown Up?

Though born and raised in New York, Andrea moved to Chicago to pursue a graduate degree in art. Her time there was the most focused she had had ever been on creating art, but she lost track of it all when she became obsessed with Felicia, and by extension, Felicia's work. She lost sight of her own desire to create art and only craved Felicia's attention and hoped that her mentor would be able to inspire her. When Felicia rejected her, Andrea became lost in drugs and alcohol until returning to New York. While Chicago remains a regretful period in her life, it also represents an alternative, had she taken advantage of the opportunity present.