Moving to a new city, balancing work and studies, and preparing for an entirely different climate are challenges that require careful planning. This is exactly the situation Juan faces as he prepares to leave Florida for Chicago to pursue a master's degree with a partial scholarship. His story covers essential vocabulary and structures for describing plans, obligations, and future decisions in English.
What does Juan's current situation look like?
Juan is a 24-year-old graphic designer working at a multinational company in the United States. Originally from Colombia, he has lived there his whole life before relocating to Florida. He highlights that he has been working with the company for a year, having started as an intern before being officially hired six months ago. The phrase "I have been working" uses the present perfect continuous tense, which describes an action that started in the past and continues into the present.
Living in Florida suits him because he always finds a lot of Latinos, which makes it feel like home. However, his ambition pushes him toward something bigger.
What are the three things Juan needs to plan?
After getting accepted to a university in Chicago, Illinois, Juan identifies three key steps he must take before the move.
Why does he need a bank loan?
Since Juan received a partial scholarship — not a full one — and his salary is not the best, he needs to get a loan from the bank. The word loan refers to money borrowed from a financial institution that must be repaid over time. This reflects a common reality for many students pursuing higher education.
Can he keep his job through a transfer?
The economy is complicated right now, and Juan cannot afford to lose his income. He knows his company has an office in Chicago, so he wants to talk to his boss about a possible transfer. A transfer in this context means moving from one office location to another within the same company. He has a meeting scheduled with his boss the next afternoon, and depending on what she says, he will decide if it is the right moment to bring up the topic.
What about the cold weather?
The third task — and probably the most fun — is to buy new clothes. Juan has never seen snow. He has always lived in warm places, so he needs at least one warm coat since he will arrive during a cold season. The contrast between Florida's tropical climate and Chicago's harsh winters makes this a practical and necessary step.
How is Juan preparing for his arrival in Chicago?
Beyond the three main tasks, Juan has already completed some preparation. He mentions that he already has all the documents ready and has looked at a place to stay for his first few weeks. The expression "I already took a look at" is a casual way of saying he researched or reviewed his housing options.
He admits it would be terrible if any of his plans went wrong, and he is hoping for the best so he does not have any concerns before classes start. The word concerns means worries or things that cause anxiety, and it appears naturally when someone describes uncertainty about the future.
Juan describes tomorrow as a busy day: first a visit to the bank, then his boss's meeting in the afternoon. His decision-making depends on how the conversation with his boss goes, showing how real-life plans often unfold step by step rather than all at once.
Notice how Juan uses expressions like "for that to happen" and "depending on what she says" to connect conditions with outcomes. These structures are useful for talking about plans that rely on external factors. If you are practicing English, try describing your own future plans using similar conditional language — what needs to happen first, and what depends on someone else's decision?
