Man, oh man! This past month has been crazy busy for us, and I need a breather! Craig and I are in the throes of school and work, but the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter every day! Craig graduates in May. In April, he takes a 2 week trip with Baylor EMBA program to Hong Kong, as part of his curriculum, and then he’s pretty much done. Hallelujah!
Next week (or maybe it’s the week after that), he has a third or fourth round (what kind of wife am I?!) interview with IBM in Austin. While we both recognize the amazing possibility and potential of this position, we are just not sure whether we’re ready to leave Waco. On the one hand, to pass up an upper management sells position with a fortune 500 company is professional suicide. And no doubt, it begs the question “If we’re not going to move cities and climb that corporate ladder, for what reason did Craig go to grad school?” On the other hand, have you ever lived in Waco? It really is a remarkable community.
And that leads me to my post: The reasons I love Waco. I suppose, in a way, the following are my pros from my pros and cons of moving or staying list. Fellow Wacoans, if I missed anything, add ‘em!
10. Common Grounds. I don’t even go there all that often, but I really like that a fun, hip coffee shop exists. It seems to have such a groupie following, and I love that!
http://www.commongroundswaco.com/
9. Baylor. Now, before you accuse me of being a bad Ag, or even think for a second that I don’t practice my Aggie incantations nightly, hear me out—I appreciate the variety of academic, cultural, and athletic events that a school like Baylor can offer. Plus, they are the biggest employer in town. http://www.baylor.edu/
8. Our neighborhood. So, technically, we’re on the cusp of Castle Heights. (aka Castle Crest) However, I feel like I live in Castle Heights! Really, I just enjoy going for a run amidst the beautiful old houses or stopping by to say hello to the Gaines, Griesmers, or Murphys.
7. Ninfa’s. Need I say more? http://www.mamaninfas.com/
6. Gold’s Gym movie room. Okay, so I wouldn’t necessarily stay in Waco for it, but boy do I utilize the heck out of it!
5. Our Lifegroup, our next door neighbors, and our friends. How could we ever replace them?
4. No traffic. When we first moved here and had to ask our neighbors, David and Stacy, for directions every time we needed to get around town, they would inevitably say, “Oh, it’s just about five minutes from here...” And we would think, yeah right! But every place is just five minutes away!
3. In a town of less than 200,000 people there are 6 Starbucks, 4 trendy clothing boutiques, and 1 Pei Wei. That’s enough for me!
2. Simplicity of life. Whether you want to own your own business—and just off the top of my head, I can think of over 10 successful Waco business owners under the age of 30, or even if you want to be a stay at home mom, Waco gives you the financial freedom to live out your dreams.
1. Our church. Antioch. Walking with a community of like-minded believers who love the Lord has forever changed my life. http://antiochcc.ccbchurch.com/
