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Galena

I'm writing this the day that me and some friends are headed to Galena. For those who don't know, Galena is a small city in Illinois near the Iowa border. It has gorgeous rolling hills, a quaint and charming downtown, and tons of memories for me.

I know, I know, hills in Illinois? Who knew? But it's true, there are hills in Galena and the surrounding area. It's quite beautiful and it makes me feel far away even though it's just like a three-ish hour drive (depends on traffic etc., etc.). 

The downtown has a lot of great shops where I've bought things ranging from a haunted doll photograph to lilac soap to a figurine of an alligator made to look like it was a sweet potato to kiwi jam. I've had a root beer flight, a cheese flight, and an alcohol flight (included wine, liqueur, and whiskey). There are a few favorite spots featuring nerdy items, great socks, and delicious pastries.

My friends and I go to Galena every year and I think I only missed 2020 because, well it was 2020 and while some people did go, my dad was (and still is) quite sick and I was too nervous at the time to be that far from him. In retrospect, I wish I had felt comfortable enough with his facility to make the trip, but I did the best I could with the information I had at the time.

Going to Galena is a favorite tradition of mine. It gives us all a chance to get away, connect, relax, and have fun. Some of our favorite things to do include kayaking, playing sardines (if you don't know what this is, just ask me), and staying up late. It's also one of the first places I felt safe enough to drink as an adult because I was with friends, no one was driving for the night, and I was where I was going to sleep for the night. This is special to me because it used to take a lot for me to feel safe enough to relinquish some control like that.

However, the most important thing to me is spending time with friends like this. There is a great sense of camaraderie when we go and even though we sometimes split into smaller groups so everyone gets to do what they want, we all come back together.

I cannot wait to go to Galena again this year. Right now, I am in much need of a break as I'm feeling pretty burned out and, at times, down on myself. I am treating myself to a massage which I think I need not only because it will feel nice, but because I think I carry a lot in my back and shoulders that needs to be released.

Right now, I'm whiling away the time until I head to my friends' place to catch a ride. What better way to spend the time than to reflect on my time ahead?

Expect many a photo from this weekend to pop up on Facebook soon.

(Prompt by me)

"Downtown Galena" by Michael Marusin. Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic.


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