What I Miss

Andy and I have lived in the Lone Star State for more than four years now. Besides being near my three grandchildren and their families, there's much to enjoy. Three seasons of relatively mild weather top the list. There's a thriving downtown and new development surrounding the city with great restaurants, shopping and other attractions. Dallas has museums, a beautiful arboretum, a zoo, several large performance venues and funky neighborhoods like Deep Ellum and Bishop Arts.

Even with all this at our doorstep, I sometimes find myself yearning for the City of Brotherly Love. We lived a total of 25 years in the suburbs and northern Delaware. The very center of Philadelphia is City Hall, Broad and Market Street meet. Its wedding-cake architecture is topped by a statue of William Penn. I often miss:

• The Philadelphia Flower Show, where the scent of thousands of blooms greets you
• Boathouse Row on the Schuykill River, with its lighted outlines of rowing clubs 
• East River Drive meandering through Fairmount Park
• The Reading Terminal Market with its abundance of restaurant stalls and produce
• The many historic buildings throughout Center City
• The Academy of Music with its elaborate candy-box interior
• Verizon Hall, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra
• The Mutter Museum with its display of medical curiosities and medicinal herb garden
• The Philadelphia Museum of Art and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

When you live somewhere for more than two decades, its easy to take these places (and many more) for granted, thinking you will always have time to visit. Then you don't. Some day, I'll return and play tourist for a few days, enjoying some of the things I should have done, but could never find the time to take in between working full-time and raising three kids. In the meantime, I'll continue exploring Dallas and all it has to offer.

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