Day 17 – The D

This week I have been participating in blog it week with Young Female Entrepreneurs, it’s been fun and inspiring and has allowed me to get me out of my head in this blogging process.  Today’s theme is:  Your City.  I wasn’t going to participate in this one because I’m not all that connected with the city in which I reside.  My city is the D.  Detroit will always be my home, no matter how long I live in LaLaLand.

Moving across the country is hard.  The other night I spent some time with my LA mom – a very good family friend of ours – and we were discussing the challenges of being Michiganders in LA.  LA has never felt like home.  It is where I live.  Michigan is where my heart resides, in fact according to my ID it’s where all of me still resides :)  While I love LA - with it’s amazing weather, gorgeous landscape, beaches and endless possibilities - Detroit is my home.  There is something about the city of Detroit that one cannot truly understand unless you’ve been there, unless you’ve felt it.  The city has a pulse, an energy; it is alive in a way that no other city can compare to (at least no place I’ve ever been).

Many of my greatest memories involve Detroit:
riding the people mover
Greektown with the fam
hanging out at Trapper’s Alley before a Wings game
driving around with the grandparents learning about the AMAZING history my family has there
eating yummy food at delicious restaurants
shows at Fisher/Fox theaters
checking out the DIA
late nights at Lafayette
St. Andrews
The Shelter
State (now known as the Filmore)
Majestic
Garden Bowl
those crazy rave parties
the works
going down to the train tracks to take graffiti pics with my now husband at 16 (woah that’s weird)
DEMF
Eastern Market
the list goes on...

As a kid my parents shared with us the culture of the city – I never grew up with a fear of Detroit, I grew up with a love for it.  A love that has never died.  The people there are kind, connected, real.  It is safe. Yes, IT IS SAFE.  I would feel safer any day of the week on the streets of Detroit than pretty much anywhere else.

As I near 30 and reflect back on my life, I see the city of Detroit as the supporting character in my evolution from angry bitter teenager to the amazing adult (dare I say that?) sitting in front of this computer today.   Detroit is the place where I got into all of my trouble, struggled to figure my shit out and then used what I learned to be of service to others.  Just like the city, I had to break down to get back up and kick ass.

Only those who know darkness can truly appreciate light; only those who acknowledge darkness can even see the light. – Kurtz & Ketcham

And just like me, even at its worst, Detroit was its best.  Sometimes we have to fall apart before we can come together.  Seeing the beauty in the breakdown tonight.

Detroit - I <3 this city!

You’re probably asking – “why the fuck did you leave traitor?”  I have to say after writing this I am wondering the same thing.  The truth is I left because I hate winter – I was sick of being depressed half the year and wanted/needed to be able to get outdoors more often.  I do not regret my decision and I know that some day I will create a life where I can have the best of both worlds.  And although my body will remain in LA my connection to Detroit will never die.  I will turn 30 in the place that I call home - get ready Detroit ...Dirty 30 is coming your way!!

There will be more down-dogging in the D… stay tuned :)

Want to know what's actually happening in the city?  Check out this site: Model D