If you had told seventeen-year-old me that I would be spending the adult portion of my life living in Cleveland, I would have told you that you needed to get your head examined.
There was no way that I would be living in Cleveland.
I was itching to get out, get away, live a life without fear of blustery cold winters.
I never made it very far. Only two hours south for about six years. I had a good run down in Columbus. It was a beautiful city, full of life and love. But ultimately my life, my love, Adam was destined to be in Cleveland for the unforeseeable future.
I made the decision to come back north.
To a city I swore I'd never live in.
To a climate I despised.
To an area that was all too familiar and lacking in adventure.
It was a painful two weeks. Agonizing over my decision to leave. Packing up every book, saying goodbye to friends, signing off from a job that I liked a decent amount. Not knowing what was in store for me two hours away. Feeling like I was jumping into a situation that I might not be able to get out of.
It's been exactly two and half years since I made that drive.
And now I don't know what I would have done had I not.
I love being here.
Yes. It's Cleveland.
The city notorious for catching our river on fire and being called the 'mistake on the lake'.
Where winter takes on its own form of hell as you battle lake effect snow up to your waist.
Where you root for the losers in every game. Because that's how Cleveland rolls.
But it's Cleveland.
A city where we've both been able to secure jobs that we absolutely LOVE. Every morning isn't filled with dread, but with calm that comes with being able to spend your day how you want to.
A place where we're able to live in a beautiful home without stretching beyond our means. A home we can truly make our own. A home that is mere minutes from family, from friends, from every restaurant and store known to mankind.
A city where we've been able to reconnect with old friends, make new ones and have adventures we never thought possible.
A place with amazing food. Thank you Michael Symon and Jonathan Sawyer.
A city where there are no fair-weather fans. Anyone can root for the usually-winning Steelers, but it takes a real fan to root for the always-down-on-their-luck Browns.
This isn't the place I imagined myself living for the rest of my life.
But now that I'm here, I really couldn't be happier.
Unless we got rid of lake effect snow. Then I'd be ecstatic.
Do you love where you live?
10 comments:
I definitely love that you have pride in the city where you live. I'm the same way. I might move somewhere for a short term period, but I will always come back to Knoxville. It's home!
I take the Steelers comment personally. grrr
I've never been to Ohio...because my family is from Michigan ;)
I do love where I live (San Diego) but I'm not sure it's where I'll be forever. I'd love to move to pacific north west. I think I'd fit in better...and I love the grey weather!
New follower :)
I grew up in Oregon and always wanted to get out of this state and try living somewhere else, somewhere bigger and better. Everyone always ended up in Portland & I didn't want to be the same. I ventured out to Seattle for three years and Phoenix for one year. I have since moved back to Portland & the older I get, the more I realize how amzing this city really is. I don't know if I'll stay here forever, but it's pretty darn awesome right now! I know for me, it took me going away for a little while to see how good it really was back home :)
I was born and raised in Atlanta and I love it. I don't know that I'll live here for the rest of my life, but it's home. Yes, the humid summers are unbearable and even now, in October, humidity is 100% at 8 AM. Atlanta is comfortable for me and I know the city and love the people here.
i feel like i could have written this post! i always swore i'd leave my hometown, move far, far away.. turns out, i moved a mere 20 minutes EAST (EAST of all places?! should have moved WEST).. i struggle with it, still, because of various reasons...
but i'm slowly learning to appreciate all the familiarity.. thanks for writing this!
This is such a beautiful post Nicole, thank you! It is so refreshing to read about how happy someone is when they least expected it.
I also love where we live, no matter what anyone says - it is my favorite and happy place!
x
Oh yeah. I grew up there. When the river caught fire. I was itching to get out, mostly to get independence.
Now, I know the city is rejuvenated, fun, and active. I haven't visited in years, but enjoyed my last visit.
And, with Betty White (Hot in Cleveland), what'w not to love?
It's a great point. Love where you live. No benefit to aching to be where you aren't (or who you aren't).
Thanks,
McFloozy
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