I've considered writing this book for many years but struggled with sharing intimate and embarrassing moments and feelings. I'm a private person and usually don't volunteer information. Elaborating and being an open book is way out of my comfort zone. Many times I asked myself: What are you doing? Are you really going to tell people that? Things happen, motivation sparks, and voila, you go for it! My goal is to build a better future for my daughter, so be it.

The ability to draw on my memories, fit the pieces together, and then put those words to paper was fun and gratifying. The soul searching, being honest about mistakes and awkwardness was difficult but necessary, and hopefully amusing. Talking about partying, getting in trouble, and intimacy is embarrassing and humbling, but even scarier, is the fact my daughter is the age I was during the book. How the heck do I play that off?

Besides the motivating factors that allow me to humiliate myself for the world to read, I became enamored with the possibility that my memoir could inspire someone who needs it. What if it did? Just once. I might never know, but how awesome that would be!

I hope it inspires those who need it.
I hope Chicagoans from my generation fondly reminisce about the days gone by.
I hope people not from Chicago, appreciate my journey and description of what it was like to live there, along with the music and pop culture that shaped our lives.