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The year was 1999. I had just graduated from high school and had the car packed up
to head to college in Oklahoma. I vowed I would only return to the Big D as a visitor
and never ever as a resident. Eleven years have passed (gasp!) and not only am I
back, but I’ve been here now for 4 years, have a husband and 2 kids AND I actually like
it here.
Back then I was scared out of my mind to raise a family here. Dallas was snobby. It
was materialistic. It was too busy. It was ugly. Although those things still ring true of
this city, I can honestly say that I’m loving every second of my life here in this Texas
town and I wouldn’t change a thing.
What I have found this time around is that there are so many parts of Dallas I never
got to know in all the 18 years of my life living here. There is such an eclectic breath
of fresh air that I never knew. I thought Dallas was comprised of concrete, sidewalks,
boob jobs, luxurious cars, designer clothes, Botox, and a lot of shallow people. Let’s
face it…there are parts and people within Dallas where my description hits the nail on
the head…BUT, I’ve realized that if you don’t want those things to be the focus of your
life and family they don’t have to be and that if you set out to find something different
you most certainly will.
In the most random of places I have found the most authentic community of down to
earth, fun loving people. I have found a whole slew of activities to do with my kids that
are so fun and at times I have to look around and ask myself…Am I in Texas?? (Thank
God for the Arboretum and White Rock Lake!)
No longer do I have feelings of fear that my children will be as tunnel visioned as I was,
or that they will grow to think that driving a new BMW at 16 is the norm for the rest of
the world, or that the most important thing in life is that their mommy has perky boobs.
I realize that life is what you make it, Dallas is what you make it…and we live in a great
city with endless opportunities in every regard. I look forward to raising my family here
and feel blessed to call Dallas our home. Now, come ask me again in August when I’ve
got sweat running down every crevice of my body and I might have a different opinion!
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Aimee is a Dallas native and has been married to her husband Brandon for almost 8 years. She is the mother to son Griffin (2 years) and daughter Lucy (6 months). She loves spending time with her family and friends, checking out new restaurants, is obsessed with T.J. Maxx and is always down for a day at the spa. She is currently on a quest called “The Year of the Aimee” that you can read more about at www.thislifeinbloom.com
Love this post! Now I don’t feel so bad that my kid doesn’t have an Au Pair teaching him 3 different languages by the age of 4. Thanks Aimee!
Dallas and the surrounding areas would be great, if not for all the transients who keep moving in and out.