Ohio

 

“Ohio? Why Ohio?”

It was the question I had been getting for over a year before I finally made my visit.

Why not?

I had originally planned to visit Ohio before I left for my study abroad experience in Scotland, but due to a broken alternator and an empty bank account, I had to delay my plans.

Despite all the negative reactions, I go anyway, to Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. I tried to explain to people why I wanted to go to Ohio in the first place, but they didn’t really seem to get it. Except for one person, my buddy Scott, who decided to tag along with me.

I had three major reasons for going, but in reality, I never need a reason to go anywhere. The world has too much to offer to wait for a reason to go someplace.

It starts with Cleveland.

And

This article: Believeland

I didn’t pay much attention to basketball, especially to a team outside of my home state. But then, I read Believeland by Wright Thompson for a class, and my interest was grabbed.  For those who don’t know, it’s the story of Cleveland after LeBron James left the Cavilers- the first time.

I fell hard for this city through Thompson’s words. In a way it reminded me of myself. A quote that sticks out is “… for everyone who ever loved something that didn’t love them back.”  That’s me, I’ve always loved people and places more than they could love me back… but that never stopped me from loving.

That’s how Cleveland felt. In the short time  there I felt the resounding love Clevelander’s had for their city.  Brewnuts, our favorite bar stop in Cleveland, was started by a local couple who, as their web site states, “gave up their jobs working for “The Man” to pursue their three favorite things: donuts, beer and Cleveland.” Any visitor to the bar will see the dedication to Cleveland, and to Ohio as a whole.  The interior is decorated with Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns art. Signs from Ohio breweries greet you at the entrance and a neon Donut Mess With Cleveland sign hangs above the bar. The bartenders are friendly, and happy to point us to Cleveland’s must-sees before we leave.

It’s late March and still chilly, but that doesn’t stop the Clevelander’s from gathering around The Q, waiting to flood the arena and watch their beloved Cavaliers take on the Phoenix Suns. We join the crowd on Fourth Street, a pedestrian street filled with unique shops and restaurants. One such shop is CLE Clothing Co., a store filled with Cleveland themed apparel and souvenirs. Again, this business was started by two friends who each loved Ohio. They, as their website says, have been “spreading Cleveland pride one t-shirt at a time since 2008.” They started small, selling shirts at markets, festivals, and kiosks until they eventually opened their first store. Now, one of their stores is placed in the heart of downtown, among the out pours of loving Cleveland fans that cheer for sport teams that represent everything they are: hard workers, lovers, and dreamers.

That brings us to Columbus,

And

twenty one pilots

There are not enough words in the world to express my love for twenty one pilots, and I know there are fans who would agree with me. If you aren’t aware of the musical duo, most of their songs are about mental illness and breaking the stigma over suicide and suicide awareness. I often hear so many people give these boys credit as the band that saved their lives, for me, this was the band that gave me the strength to save myself.

When we arrive in Columbus, it seems empty and cold. The day is dreary and gray, and I must admit, I was in low spirits. I don’t know if it was the weather or the lack of sleep, but driving in, I didn’t have the same spark of excitement I did when I got to Cleveland.

We pull up to our downtown hotel, and streets were nearly empty. What remained along the streets were the left-over protest signs from the March for Our Lives rally that had happened earlier that morning, outside the Ohio State Capitol Building. The capitol is the first place we go. Scott has a goal of visiting every state capitol building, though it’s not the only reason he travels. Give that boy a skyline, a river walk, and a bookstore and he’ll go anywhere. Luckily, Columbus has all those things.

As we peruse through the capital building, I imagine Josh and Tyler coming here as kids on a field trip, learning about their state. I feel the same way as we walk up the Scioto Mile and get a view of the city. Gray clouds hang low, but the city is still beautiful. How many times did they stand on this bridge and take in the city that they love? Before we leave, we see a man propose to his girlfriend. Through teary eyes, she says yes. This is a place for love indeed.

The chilly air brings us to one of the two coffee shops we visit. Not far from the Scioto Mile is The Roosevelt Coffee House. A unique place, where the goal isn’t to serve coffee, but to serve the community and organizations around the world. It also, rumor has it, is a Josh Dun favorite.

Near there, is my favorite stop of the whole trip. By chance we stumble into Spoonful Records, a local record shop. Something about the quaint shop pulled us in, though at the time neither Scott, nor I owned a record player. Scott is more interested in the 80s vinyl, I browse the alternative section. Without trying, I come across a black and red album cover, one I’ve seen a thousand times. Blurryface. And behind it, Vessel. The two major twenty one pilots albums at the time. It felt like fate, and I buy them. The woman at the check out is sweet, and she strikes up a conversation about the band right away. I tell her they are the reason I’m in Columbus to begin with. She chuckles and asks where I’m from.

“Wisconsin,” I tell her.

“No way me too!” she nearly shouts.

Her name is Amy, and its like she became my new best friend. We swap a few Wisconsin jokes and she gives me a t-shirt and a sticker. We take a photo together outside the shop and hug before we part ways, it was the highlight of the trip for me. Thanks to Amy, (and Scott) I now have a healthy vinyl collection growing.

 

Columbus is also home to my favorite coffee shop and bookstore. Before we leave for Cincinnati that morning, we stop at Fox in the Snow. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and the food is amazing. The coffee shop was once a garage, now it is the ultimate Sunday morning brunch spot. From there we arrive at The Book Loft, a 32-room book store built into a pre-Civil War era house. It is the ideal place for a book and history lover like Scott. We spend hours inside.

We walk out into the sunshine, the gray of yesterday gone. We are in the German Village, a quaint part of Columbus that reminds me of my time in Europe, and I realize I don’t want to leave.  The feelings from the day before had washed away, and I realized that living in Columbus one day had just become a high possibility. As we leave, I begin to understand why twenty one pilots love their city so much. I love it too. The beautiful downtown, the generous people, and the unique villages. It feels like home.

That brings us to Cincinnati

And

Walk the Moon

2014

I was hiding in my room, listening to my sister’s Pandora station waft through our joining air vent, when I first heard Walk the Moon. We had just found out that we would be losing our house that summer. Four years after my dad passed, and we couldn’t keep up with it anymore. It was heart wrenching, a paradise lost. It was the dream my parents had built together, and by August, it would be gone.

I didn’t pay much attention to the song that was playing until I heard, “What do you know? This house is falling apart. What can I say? This house is falling apart. We got no money, but we got heart.”

I left my hiding place to discover who they were, and four years later, I was driving to their hometown to see what it was all about.

As we drive south from Columbus, we get our first glance. Nestled in a valley along the Ohio River lies the Queen City.  We stop for food at Pies and Pints and enjoy a view of the Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ballpark. Our waiter suggests some of his favorite record shops before sending us on our way. I, of course, purchase every Walk the Moon vinyl possible at Shake It Records.

We spend the rest of the day exploring the banks of the river walk admiring the bridge that spans from Ohio to Kentucky. We eat candy and relax in Fountain Square, then move on to Washington Park, where we eat more candy. The city is like an urban playground. I loved every second of it. It was easy to see how a band like Walk the Moon, whose up-beat tunes always brighten the mood, could be from a place like this. The architecture of the Cincinnati Music Hall is beautiful, I was in awe of the red bricks. It was like standing outside of a grand European cathedral. The vibrant street art, which seemed to appear on every street corner brought so much life to the Spring air.

Before we say farewell, we cross the border to Kentucky, and drive up to the overlook. For one last shining moment we gaze upon Cincinnati, and Ohio, before we drive off into the dark.

Ohio,

You blew my expectations with your beauty and your kindness. Every person we met was helpful and sincere. I was reluctant to head home. For the first time since I had returned from Scotland, I felt like myself again. The traveler on a quest to find little extraordinary places. I found that in Ohio. I found it in the reborn city of Cleveland, no longer the “Mistake on the Lake”. I found that in Columbus, the best kind of ‘hometown’. I found that in Cincinnati, a vibrant place that made me feel like a kid again. Ohio is full of dreamers, whether basketball stars, musicians or shop owners. They love their teams, they love their music, above all they love their state.

 

Thank You