love the one you're with

People love to move. I am not an exception to this rule. I have moved, on average, every 1.5 years since graduating high school. Obviously, some dorm living is in there. But even since leaving the dorm life, I've still lived in Covington, Newport, Walnut Hills, Avondale, Clifton Heights, Over-the-Rhine, and now Northside- that's 7 apartments in about 10 years. I don't like packing, or moving, or unpacking. But I love change.

Changing your scenery is pretty common when you're feeling restless. Women dye their hair after a breakup. When you can't find a date, you want to move to another city. When you can't find a job, it's time to move abroad. Somehow, we think that changing the outside will change the inside.

I moved to the Cincinnati area at age 13- where change is less welcome, and the idea of changing schools was devastating enough, much less moving to another state. Believe it or not, Detroit really was a comfort zone for me. It still is. I still miss it (even with its continued struggles, and I'm not talking about the Lions). But there comes a point where you realize that the cliche of life is what you make it refers to your location too. I am pretty partial to big cities as opposed to small towns (mostly because I need- and I do mean need- professional sports teams). But as for what city that is- it's about the people. People complain that Cincinnati is clique-y. It is. That doesn't mean you can't make friends and meet new people and break through the cliques. It's a small-town feel to a big city. People know your business even if they don't know you, therefore self-discretion is advised.

At the same time, I sat in the biergarten of the oldest farmer's market in Ohio today, listening to an authentic German band, prosting to a local beer, and listening to candidates for city council speak, answer questions, and take questions from the audience. I met a friend for dinner at the other side of town and ran into a former student and a friend from college. When pictures were being taken for web sites, I duck out- I do like a bit of anonymity- but it's nice to feel at home.

I love you, Cincinnati