Making Introductions

Hello!

Welcome to Our Time in Tyler. Before we begin, let's cover a little background information:

Named for President John Tyler and nicknamed "Rose Capital of the World,"  Tyler, Texas has an estimated population of 107,405 as of 2014. (In local practice, the populations of surrounding small towns, the real small towns, are lumped in with Tyler's to effectively double the count.) Despite hosting three higher education institutions, Tyler is not a college town with a thriving nightlife. It is, for the most part, a retirement town and it typically does three things well: churches, hospitals, and roses. Tyler, regardless of size, has a pervading small-town feel, with charm and inconveniences alike.

That's where I come in: Kate, a listless 25-year-old college student. I've lived in a vast variety of places throughout my life, from Dallas to Seattle, Denver, and Orange County, before settling in Tyler to attend school near my family. After being in town for only one day, I went on my first date with my boyfriend Cody, and we've been together ever since. In only a few short years, we will be shipping off for my graduate school program (in who-knows-where), but for now, we've decided to do our best to explore our big small town.

So, in the days to come, I will be cataloging our best (and worst) experiences in Tyler and surrounding areas, whether it be at restaurants, shopping, outdoors -- you name it. Stay tuned!