In 1994 Chicago, the Internet barely exists, people use payphones, and answering machines can make or break a relationship. Claire lives with her roommate in a shabby apartment in pre-gentrified Wicker Park, where needles dot the sidewalks and pot is still illegal. She wants to get away from her suburban North Shore background, going from country club to dance club, and gets wasted along the way. She has an okay temp job downtown, but all she wants to do is make enough money to get out of Chicago and see the world. Her plan is chugging along until guys, work, and friends complicate the situation, and ultimately she has to decide what she really wants.