Alright. So, to truly exhibit how impartial an individual I am, I definitely just did a little Googling of my dream suburb and... well, so it doesn't have THE most exciting history. But whatever... there are definitely components to Naperville that made me... well, just so darn proud I could hardly sit still.
First, a little background. Did you know that Naperville was founded in the 1830's by some man named Joseph Naper? Originally called Naper's Settlement, Naperville was home to about 100 settlers before being displaced by some massacre during some war (detailed, I know).
Okay, so Wikipedia can only go so far. I got a little bored as I was reading this history (and normally, I love history!) because a lot of it had more to do with how the counties were established and that kind of thing does NOT interest me. HOWEVER! One interesting point I learned was that Naperville's population basically exploded during the 1980's and 1990's (due to the construction of a couple of highways) and has nearly quadrupled in size over the past 20 years!
And no WONDER! Of course there is nothing BUT exponential growth and delight here... it's a utopia! I mean, did you KNOW that it was voted the second best place in the entire United States in which to live (c/o Money Magazine, 2006)??? I simply don't know why it wasn't number one, but that is just my own little opinion. Even more importantly... did you know that the Naperville Public Library has been the NUMBER ONE RANKED LIBRARY in the United States from 1999 through 2010?!?!?! What the heck?!? If that isn't enough to win one over, I just don't know what IS! (You better believe the Naperville Public Library is now totally on my list of things to see/do... one of my own Seven Wonders of the World, if you will...)
Of course, my favorite part of my brief historical research (solely consisting of some Wikipedia reading... sigh- I know. I just didn't have a lot of time tonight!) involved the "famous people" who are from Naperville. Sure, Paula Zahn was the first person to catch my eye (I mean, hello! She's a news reporter! My DREAM!!!). But then. Well, THEN... ummm... did you know that EMILY GIFFIN IS TOTALLY FROM NAPERVILLE?!?!?! Author of Something Borrowed?? Author of Something Blue?!?!?! God, who knew that Naperville could produce such literary GENIUSES?!?!?!
Not wanting to let Giffin totally dominate the Naperville celebrity scene, I definitely continued to scroll through the list and my eyes lit upon... Chris Brown?!?!?! Sure, I'm not a fan of his (I mean, hello. I don't advocate abusive relationships obvi), but STILL. I mean, he's a pretty huge celebrity!! Upon reading THOSE details a little closer, however, I quickly learned that this Chris Brown is actually some running back for the Tennessee Titans? Alright... clearly my interest levels dropped exponentially at that point. I mean... who ARE the Tennessee Titans anyway?
Okay, so maybe this historical snapshot wasn't exactly the most well-researched... nor the most interesting (I'm the first one to admit that!). However, you better believe that I will still continue along with my research (perhaps more luck will be had with the cultural opportunities Naperville has to offer... or the holiday festivities which Naperville has in store for me...) all week long.
lfsakjfls! 4 days and counting!!! Naperville, here I COME!!!!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
NAPERVILLE!! 5 Days and Counting... Dreams DO Come True: Part 1
Weeeeee!!!! I never thought I'd see the day when I'd FINALLY get to visit my dream suburb!!!! I've been dreaming of this day for at LEAST six years... I mean, who would have thought it would take THIS long to get out to Naperville? Not me, that's for sure. Thankfully, with the holidays quickly approaching, I finally convinced at LEAST one of my friends to venture out to my dream suburb with me this upcoming weekend, just to get an idea of how Naperville does the holidays (or something like that).
Sigh, don't you just love the holidays? You can spin like ANYTHING to tie back to the merriment of the season, if you tried really hard. But I digress.
In any event! There's still so much to DO to prepare for this momentous occasion! I wonder what kind of holiday festivities Naperville has? I wonder how cute that downtown ACTUALLY is? I wonder... holy mother, what should I WEAR?? I mean, I don't want to be underdressed in like jeans and a fleece but... well, I don't know, is a cocktail dress too much for Naperville?
Ha. Please. WHAT was I thinking? NOTHING can ever be too much for The Dream Suburb.
Okay. I need to take a few deep breaths. (I have a feeling I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight...) Let's start at the beginning because, quite frankly, many people are so thoroughly confused (and think I'm joking... which I'm definitely NOT) when I start animatedly discussing 1) that I have a dream suburb to begin with, and 2) that that suburb is, of all places, Naperville, IL. (lksjflkdsf! Just typing out the NAME MAKES ME SMILE!!!)
Ahh, Naperville. Even though I've never been (yet!!), just the name of the town evokes such sunshiney thoughts in my head. My love of Naperville began at least six years ago when I was still in undergrad. While Ohio State has some students from out of state, the overwhelming majority of undergrads are from the grand home state (ah, Ohio), itself. My senior year, I ended up becoming friends with two girls who just happened to be from... where else? Naperville. Of course, I totally became an active advertiser of these two girls (who had been best friends back in Naperville as well) because, well, they just happened to be two of the nicest, smartest, most good-natured people... like, ever.
And that, my friends, is all it took for me to establish my dream suburb. Now, where in heaven's name is the connection, you ask? Well... upon realizing just how down-to-EARTH and genuine were these two girls (Millie and Emily), I of course, naturally pinpointed that I wanted my kids to grow up to be just like them.
I mean, isn't that the connection that any normal individual would draw? Duh.
But hey, it can't just be a COINCIDENCE that Naperville produced two such great people in LIFE, right?!?!? Right.
But it's not just that! Sure, my love for Naperville started way back in the day, but it has only continued to grow... exponentially, at that. Ever since I moved to Chicago, I feel like I have met SO MANY PEOPLE from Naperville. And, sure, while they are all very unique in their own right, the one common thread among them all? They are like the FRIENDLIEST (and, for the most part, smartest) PEOPLE EVER!!!! GOD, it's like the EPITOME of Midwestern charm and, well, just plain genuine HAPPINESS all in one happy dreamland of a suburb!!
Not only that, but you know how some people brush aside where they grew up because it was super boring or hickville or whatever? NEVER have I encountered such a situation with individuals from Naperville. No way. I honestly have never experienced such overwhelming PRIDE from people growing up in a suburb! From its fantastic education system (you know me and education... staunch supporter, that I am) to its adorable downtown area, people were HAPPY growing up there. Can it BE any more utopian?
Whew. Now that I've given you a little (or a lot, whatever) of background on my dream suburb, I have simply GOT to focus on next steps here to prepare for my grand Naperville debut!! First, there's the whole research component that's involved. I mean, I don't want to make my grand entrance into my dream suburb completely IGNORANT- hello!! Therefore, for the next five days, I've taken it upon myself to educate myself bit by bit about my dream suburb (whether it involves learning more about Naperville's history, Naperville's cultural goings-on or what Naperville has in store for the HOLIDAYSDlkfjsalkdfj!)... and blog about the fun facts/informational GEMS that I find along the way.
Get ready!!! Naperville: A Historical Snapshot will coming at ya tomorrow...
Sigh, don't you just love the holidays? You can spin like ANYTHING to tie back to the merriment of the season, if you tried really hard. But I digress.
In any event! There's still so much to DO to prepare for this momentous occasion! I wonder what kind of holiday festivities Naperville has? I wonder how cute that downtown ACTUALLY is? I wonder... holy mother, what should I WEAR?? I mean, I don't want to be underdressed in like jeans and a fleece but... well, I don't know, is a cocktail dress too much for Naperville?
Ha. Please. WHAT was I thinking? NOTHING can ever be too much for The Dream Suburb.
Okay. I need to take a few deep breaths. (I have a feeling I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight...) Let's start at the beginning because, quite frankly, many people are so thoroughly confused (and think I'm joking... which I'm definitely NOT) when I start animatedly discussing 1) that I have a dream suburb to begin with, and 2) that that suburb is, of all places, Naperville, IL. (lksjflkdsf! Just typing out the NAME MAKES ME SMILE!!!)
Ahh, Naperville. Even though I've never been (yet!!), just the name of the town evokes such sunshiney thoughts in my head. My love of Naperville began at least six years ago when I was still in undergrad. While Ohio State has some students from out of state, the overwhelming majority of undergrads are from the grand home state (ah, Ohio), itself. My senior year, I ended up becoming friends with two girls who just happened to be from... where else? Naperville. Of course, I totally became an active advertiser of these two girls (who had been best friends back in Naperville as well) because, well, they just happened to be two of the nicest, smartest, most good-natured people... like, ever.
And that, my friends, is all it took for me to establish my dream suburb. Now, where in heaven's name is the connection, you ask? Well... upon realizing just how down-to-EARTH and genuine were these two girls (Millie and Emily), I of course, naturally pinpointed that I wanted my kids to grow up to be just like them.
I mean, isn't that the connection that any normal individual would draw? Duh.
But hey, it can't just be a COINCIDENCE that Naperville produced two such great people in LIFE, right?!?!? Right.
But it's not just that! Sure, my love for Naperville started way back in the day, but it has only continued to grow... exponentially, at that. Ever since I moved to Chicago, I feel like I have met SO MANY PEOPLE from Naperville. And, sure, while they are all very unique in their own right, the one common thread among them all? They are like the FRIENDLIEST (and, for the most part, smartest) PEOPLE EVER!!!! GOD, it's like the EPITOME of Midwestern charm and, well, just plain genuine HAPPINESS all in one happy dreamland of a suburb!!
Not only that, but you know how some people brush aside where they grew up because it was super boring or hickville or whatever? NEVER have I encountered such a situation with individuals from Naperville. No way. I honestly have never experienced such overwhelming PRIDE from people growing up in a suburb! From its fantastic education system (you know me and education... staunch supporter, that I am) to its adorable downtown area, people were HAPPY growing up there. Can it BE any more utopian?
Whew. Now that I've given you a little (or a lot, whatever) of background on my dream suburb, I have simply GOT to focus on next steps here to prepare for my grand Naperville debut!! First, there's the whole research component that's involved. I mean, I don't want to make my grand entrance into my dream suburb completely IGNORANT- hello!! Therefore, for the next five days, I've taken it upon myself to educate myself bit by bit about my dream suburb (whether it involves learning more about Naperville's history, Naperville's cultural goings-on or what Naperville has in store for the HOLIDAYSDlkfjsalkdfj!)... and blog about the fun facts/informational GEMS that I find along the way.
Get ready!!! Naperville: A Historical Snapshot will coming at ya tomorrow...
Friday, November 25, 2011
Saks & Dunkin' Donuts... Good Times.
Most people are quite surprised when they hear about how low-key my holidays at home actually are. For a girl who believes it her true mission in life to spend the last three months of the year actively spreading holiday cheer to all who will hear, my actual holiday festivities are fairly mellow. This Thanksgiving was no exception.
My sister and I arrived in Cincinnati around the same time on Thanksgiving afternoon. While Thanksgiving typically consists of my parents cooking up a variety of dishes (most concoctions a derivation of some Food Network idea or other), this year was... slightly different. Let's just say my sister and I entered our house to the sight of... well, this:
A readymade meal from the local grocery store. Haha- good times. If you're going to go, go all out, right? Sure, this meal was huge and complete with all the trimmings but, well... there was just some necessary supplementation that HAD to take place. No better way to supplement than by...
Heading to the local Boston Market. Well, hell, if you're going to go, go all out, right? I mean, have you HAD Boston Market's cornbread?? A-maze.
Anyway! Now that Thanksgiving is outta the way, we can FINALLY focus on the REAL holiday at hand... ljfaldsfkjl!! Welcome to Christiemas!!!! While many individuals also assume that I would be all OVER Black Friday (because of that Christiemas zest I tend to spread to all the land), I actually can't. stand. Black Friday. Sure, I can appreciate an economic boost as much as the next person. But seriously? Pepper spray? Trampling people in lines?
I. Do. Not. Think So.
Therefore, when my parents had the brilliant idea of getting out of our house today to do some shopping, I was the first to nix it. As if shopping isn't annoying enough on a regular basis, you better BELIEVE that I have zero interest in shopping on today of all days.
Rather, we decided to head to downtown Cincinnati, since my sister had to return something at Saks. (I know, right? Don't ask. I'm not sure how we are related, myself.)
What better way to start off an afternoon of high-class downtown shopping than with a cozy cup of coffee? I mean, there's nothing like a cozy little latte or espresso to sip on whilst perusing those high-end shops, right? This explains how we ended up at our first stop of the day...
Sigh. Way to really plummet those classy levels, I know. But oh WELL! Dunkin Donuts coffee is just so darn delicious it surpasses all rules of classiness.
Yum, yum, yum. But I digress. Next stop...
While I could not care LESS about anything high-end retail, I have to admit it was more than a little entertaining partaking in this shopping experience with my parents. While most of this experience involved my parents picking up various items and commenting in hushed (and not-so-hushed) tones on some of the ridiculous prices, at least my sister got some decent shopping done...
Haha- she WISHES. It was at this point in this little shopping experience that my parents shifted their attention from the exorbitant prices to... well, health and safety issues. I believe the words "Will you take those shoes off? You are just going to fall and break your leg" (complete with genuinely concerned tones and "looks" exchanged between my mom and dad) occupied the majority of the conversation at this point in the shopping experience.
Ahh- good times. Welcome to Thanksgiving and Black Friday festivities, Maliyacks-style. Classiness, at its finest.
My sister and I arrived in Cincinnati around the same time on Thanksgiving afternoon. While Thanksgiving typically consists of my parents cooking up a variety of dishes (most concoctions a derivation of some Food Network idea or other), this year was... slightly different. Let's just say my sister and I entered our house to the sight of... well, this:
A readymade meal from the local grocery store. Haha- good times. If you're going to go, go all out, right? Sure, this meal was huge and complete with all the trimmings but, well... there was just some necessary supplementation that HAD to take place. No better way to supplement than by...
Heading to the local Boston Market. Well, hell, if you're going to go, go all out, right? I mean, have you HAD Boston Market's cornbread?? A-maze.
Anyway! Now that Thanksgiving is outta the way, we can FINALLY focus on the REAL holiday at hand... ljfaldsfkjl!! Welcome to Christiemas!!!! While many individuals also assume that I would be all OVER Black Friday (because of that Christiemas zest I tend to spread to all the land), I actually can't. stand. Black Friday. Sure, I can appreciate an economic boost as much as the next person. But seriously? Pepper spray? Trampling people in lines?
I. Do. Not. Think So.
Therefore, when my parents had the brilliant idea of getting out of our house today to do some shopping, I was the first to nix it. As if shopping isn't annoying enough on a regular basis, you better BELIEVE that I have zero interest in shopping on today of all days.
Rather, we decided to head to downtown Cincinnati, since my sister had to return something at Saks. (I know, right? Don't ask. I'm not sure how we are related, myself.)
What better way to start off an afternoon of high-class downtown shopping than with a cozy cup of coffee? I mean, there's nothing like a cozy little latte or espresso to sip on whilst perusing those high-end shops, right? This explains how we ended up at our first stop of the day...
Sigh. Way to really plummet those classy levels, I know. But oh WELL! Dunkin Donuts coffee is just so darn delicious it surpasses all rules of classiness.
Yum, yum, yum. But I digress. Next stop...
While I could not care LESS about anything high-end retail, I have to admit it was more than a little entertaining partaking in this shopping experience with my parents. While most of this experience involved my parents picking up various items and commenting in hushed (and not-so-hushed) tones on some of the ridiculous prices, at least my sister got some decent shopping done...
Haha- she WISHES. It was at this point in this little shopping experience that my parents shifted their attention from the exorbitant prices to... well, health and safety issues. I believe the words "Will you take those shoes off? You are just going to fall and break your leg" (complete with genuinely concerned tones and "looks" exchanged between my mom and dad) occupied the majority of the conversation at this point in the shopping experience.Ahh- good times. Welcome to Thanksgiving and Black Friday festivities, Maliyacks-style. Classiness, at its finest.
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