I can’t believe I’m writing this post! 10 years ago today my dad and I drove my car from Rochester, MN to Cincinnati for what I thought would be the next whirlwind city in my tour de US. In the 18 months prior to coming here, I had already moved twice and I assumed that this would be another 6-12 month stint and I’d be on to the next. I signed a year long lease at One Lytle Place not even sure that I’d make it that long. I was 23 years old when I arrived and onto my 3rd position/promotion in my company. I was still so young and had so much to learn and, I didn’t know it then, but I NEEDED to come here. Coming here gave me the courage to push myself, learn, grow, change, and get myself to move onward and upward from people and things that I needed to let go of.
view from my first Cincinnati apartment
Upon getting here, I had the great fortune of [by chance] meeting friends that would change my life. I truly felt seen and understood for the first time in a long time and we had the time of our lives together. 2011 was such a pivotal year in my life. It’s truly when everything happened for me. New apartment, new job, new friends, new guy. My dreams literally blossomed before me once I got here. And the ironic part is that I came here kicking and screaming. I didn’t want to go [for reasons that, looking back now, are entirely laughable]. But that’s the thing about being young. You don’t know what you need until you’re sometimes shoved into it. Once getting past the initial shock [I was told I’d be moving here and it all happened incredibly fast], I embraced it and I’m so happy I opened up my mind the people, ideas, and experiences that were presented to me once getting here.
meeting these two was one of the best things that ever happened to me!
After the summer of a lifetime, in the fall I met Mike and really settled into life here. That winter, I got the opportunity to make a move to L’Oreal Paris, which would also prove to change my life. Even though we had only been dating for, like 6 weeks, we made the decision to move me into his house where I could have a proper home office. I was going to keep my apartment until the lease was up, but that definitely changed the course of my life. It was a huge leap of faith on so many fronts but it was another change that I embraced and it set the tone for the next 10 years. I truly didn’t think I’d stay when I got here, but those two changes solidified that I’d be staying put for a while.
look at these babies!
And here we are. A full 10 years later. I went from being a single 23 year old gal in an apartment overlooking the city to a live-in girlfriend to a wife and working mom in a home we’ve now lived in for 7 years! My life now is exactly what I hoped it always would be and I know how lucky I am to say that. Moving here did that for me. I know my job brought me here to find Mike and the friends I’ve made here. I’m on my third company since moving to Cincinnati, but each company has brought me knowledge and growth and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. Cincinnati has truly become home and we’re here for the long haul [never say never but all things constant we’re staying put]. This is where we had our wedding, had our baby, and built a real life for ourselves [and explored a whole lot!]. What unfolded after coming here was nothing like I had imagined; it was SO much better. I encourage you to embrace change [especially when unexpected] because you never know what can happen. I’ve lived what feels like a few lifetimes since moving here, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Thank you all for being here and following along with this little family of mine. I’m forever grateful to you. And to Cincinnati. Definitely to Cincinnati.
