my dream of a city life.

So unlike most Americans….especially the suburban Americans I am surrounded by…I have never dreamed of a house in the burbs with a white picket fence. I did grow up in a suburb of Seattle, but Washington suburbs seem to be much different than the Texas or California variety. Where I grew up, people left the suburbs to be in the city regularly if not daily. Seattle is a little tight on space because it is water locked on the east and the west side. I think this forced people out of downtown by sheer lack of space which changed the mindset of the suburban dwellers.

Where I currently live slightly disgusts me. The city I live in is 30 miles north of downtown Dallas. I live in a 70 sq mile suburban Mecca. Any popular shopping, dining, entertainment, and family-oriented establishment is here. Not to mention the countless number of huge developments with huge houses on tiny lots. We have our own mega church, Wal-mart Super Center, Super-Target, and mega mall. There is really no reason to leave this haven of little cultural diversity. But that is my daily struggle, I want to leave and leave often.

I have several friends, all over the world, who live in great little communities. They are full of diversity and culture and they force you to get out more often. I appreciate the type of communities where you can walk pretty much anywhere. I like the ma and pop type stores, organic locally grown produce and the little whole in the wall coffee shops. I’d love to be able to walk to the park, meet people who live in my community, and not feel like I am invading there secluded suburban world by striking up a conversation with them about something other than children. I wouldn’t mind living in a small house so I am forced to interact with the world outside of my four walls. I know that communities like this exist in huge cities and little towns across America, I just haven’t found many in Texas.

Lately Clint and I have felt a little pressured to buy a house. We have mixed feelings about it but the overarching struggle is that no matter what we could buy right now, we would be settling on major things that might ultimately leave us unhappy with where we are. And we are willing to compromise on a lot, willing to consider fixer-uppers (so fun) or new construction, big yards or no yard at all. We can’t really base it off of  where Clint works unless we wanted to move often. His group covers over 1400 sq miles of the metroplex. So as we approach another move in the months to come there are a lot of things that we are praying through and asking for guidance for.

-Megan

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