The summer I fell in love with Peoria - Take Two

photo taken by one of my students - J. Karcher

Most of my friends know about the summer two years ago that I titled "The Summer I Fell in Love With Peoria."  I had spent the previous summer in San Francisco at school, and knew that the next summer I would have a little boy to raise, so I decided to make the most of it.  It all started because I was teaching at the end of the school year and a group of students were really slamming P-town and how lame it was.  Then it dawned on me.....I CHOOSE to live here.  Sure, 7.5 years ago my husband drug me here in a tearful car ride from Ohio after our return from our honeymoon, but since then he hasn't been able to get me to leave.  I love my friends here - I love his friends here.  I love having his family close by, and I love my job.  It was time for me to fall in love with the city I lived in. 

photo taken by m. warren

The summer started out great - I had a whole list of things to do and a highlighted calendar of activities.  It turns out that Peoria is a fabulous city for art, food, wine, and music lovers - and I'm guilty of loving all four.  I hit up legendary restaurants that I had always just talked about going to.  I drug my friends to vineyard concerts, and Dustin and I even went to the Monday night 50 cent movie in the park.  I didn't even puncture the surface of my list though - because I made a big decision about halfway through the summer.  I decided to open a business.  I won't go into the details of the business - that's for another post on another day.  What I will tell you is that it consumed my life and left me with a bitter taste about the area I live in. 

photo taken by t. abreu

So a year after the business has closed, and with new intentions, I plan to fall in love with Peoria all over again.  This time I'm going to see it through to the end.  This time I'm going to blog about my adventures.  And this time I'm going to drag my children, husband, and friends along for the ride.  So if you are reading this, and living in the area, and call youself my friend, consider yourself invited to the second official SIFILWP tour.  Trust me, it's going to be the ride of a lifetime. :)