the mall of america

The summer before I started 6th grade (1992) all I could think about was going to the Mall of America. I saved newspaper clippings, watched news stories - I was SO THERE on August 11th when they opened the doors. I planned to go with my life time friend Dan who used to live next to us when we lived behind the Dairy Queen (unfortunately her house was demolished to make way for the beautiful parking lot that now can be seen today - my dad still talks about the egg rolls her grandma used to make - think Kinhdo but better).

We were pen pals. Wrote letters about the big day. What we would wear. How we would do our hair. The plan was for me to go stay the night with her family in the cities and we would head down and go s-h-opping! The only mall I had ever been to before that was Pamida in Forest Lake and maybe the Maplewood mall (was it open then??)

I made lists of stores. Esprit, County Seat, Speigel, Daytons .. high end places I wouldn't get to visit unless I lived in LA or New York. Surely my mom would give me a hunk of spending money! I would look so awesome my first day of 6th grade.

And then August 11th came and went. I can't recall why it didn't work out. I am sure it had something to do with driving at night (mom & dad) or getting trampled (mom & dad). Later in my High School career I threw out the clippings and snorted.

And now, thinking back I cannot remember the first trip I took to the MOA but I do remember going there a lot with Lisa's family. One specific time was for her birthday.

At her birthday party, we also ended up staying the night in a hotel near the MOA. We went to Rainbow foods at 11pm for something - snacks?? ice cream?? and I was in shock over the amount of people that were shopping at that time of night - there were CHILDREN out for Christ's sake. Shouldn't they be in bed?

The next morning we got up bright and early and went to the mall deciding to meet by Snoopy's water dish in the amusement park. Surely we were there for HOURS. I can remember buying some scented oil at the Body Shop (one of my favorite stores on Earth at that time), a shirt with hippie stuff on it, black and white striped knee high tights (the junk yard store with the car out of the front near the food court?? AWESOME), and probably something at Musicland because buying music was awesome (but not spending $20 on a CD - wowsa).

Unfortunately throughout my life, the MOA has become less of an attraction and more of a hinderance but David and I have it down to an art; we know where to park and where our stores are in proximity to where we parked. Most times we are in and out within 30 minutes.

Here's to the MOA - add another sleep pod store.