blooming prairie

I've never lived in a town with a charming name.

I was born in Greensburg.

Riveting, I know.

I'm from Mission Viejo.

It means 'old mission' in Spanish.

Boring.

I lived in Huntington Beach through college.

It only cool because of where it's located not because of it's name..

I lived in San Diego in my mid-20's.

San Diego means 'whales vagina' in German.

Not cool at all.

I now live in a town that ends in "ville."

Can you say southern hillbilly?

Our house is in a town that sounds more like a butler's first name than anything else.

Hardly prestigious.

***

I want to live in a town with a sweet, eye-catching, charming name.

A town that makes me want to drink a martini or a mojito at noon.

A town that makes me want to tend to my garden in a sundress and Chanel sunglasses.

A town that makes me want to visit the local library.

A town that makes me want to nap in my hammock and vedge in my backyard pool.

Small town charm.

High class attitude.

***

I drove through Blooming Prairie, MN on my way to Minneapolis.

Blooming Prairie.

How perfect is that name?

So sweet.

Sooooo perfect.

I instantly had visions of me living in a town called Blooming Prairie.

Then I drove straight through their downtown.

1 stop light.

Which consisted of a Dairy Queen, a Subway, a police station, a pet groomer, a water tower, a pharmacy and a Ford dealership.

Population 1,993.

My visions instantly faded and I didn't want to live in a town called Blooming Prairie any longer.

But then I drove past the stop light and out into the countryside.

On a 2 lane highway.

The sky was bright blue.

The clouds were puffy.

The corn stalks were high.

And the road was wide open...