I love lists. During college I was obsessed with my planner; I carried it absolutely everywhere. Anna would tease me because I would accomplish something and look to see if it was in my planner, if it wasn't I would quickly add it to my planner in order to check it off. I just feel accomplished seeing all the things I did during the day and it's fun to look back at all I've accomplished during the year. My friends Krissy, Aids, and Shan are fellow "planner lovers". We'd compare our planners and I'd secretly be jealous if they had found a cooler planner than me at the start of the year. As I started teaching my planner habit hasn't followed me nearly as closely. I now have a desk calendar I write everything on and enjoy seeing my whole month laid out in front of me. I've been thinking of some lists lately and here's one that returns to my thoughts often. I have friends and students who ask, "Why do you even like the city? What do you actually DO in Cincinnati?" And it's a good question. What would I show people if I could act as tour guide of "my city"? My list might not make the city's official endorsement, but it's what would be important to me. So, if I had a full day to tour the city and answer their questions here's my list:
1. Meet my family - my family is the absolute best thing in Cincinnati. This would include meeting my little cousins and doing what my family does best...just be together. Maybe we'd play some front yard football, shag balls at the field while my dad threw my brother batting practice, sit on the deck and talk, play board games, or just sit in the kitchen telling stories and laughing at each other.
2. Have a RAAWKS sleep over. I'm going to include a highschool sporting event in this category too. The football field or the gym is where my friends and I spent so many nights after school. And, I'd introduce everyone to all the teachers. CCS was seriously way more of a family than a school. Never thought I'd see that as such a good thing! Anyway, on the to the sleep over...Krissy would bring "The Sword" to drive us all and after spending some time highlighting someone's hair, eating Extreme Moose Tracks ice cream (arguing over who will bring "the tracks" and if the extreme or regular version is better), pretending Sid has an actual personality, driving to find where the guys are hanging out and toilet papering their car, and then arguing over watching a movie and finally just talking in Whit's kitchen everyone would have to agree...I have the absolute best friends in the entire world.
3. Go to "my Skyline" on Colerain. The old one. Where the people still give me bubble gum like they have since I was about 5 years old.
4. Head to a Reds game. We would sit in the "Top 6" as my dad calls them then move down (which always embarrasses me, but my dad and brother are pros at it)
5. UC basketball game with my dad like I used to when I was little.
6. Grater's ice cream. Because it's the best ice cream in the world. Duh.
7. Sledding with the neighbors on my backyard hill. We'd take off the wet snow suits (one piece because my mom thinks it's cool still) in the atrium and my mom would make chili and homemade hot chocolate.
8. Camp in the yard after a bonfire with friends.
9. Watch the Cincinnati Labor Day fireworks at Krissy's uncles with friends.
10. Go to the library. Ok, that one might sound stupid, but my mom took us to spend entire daaaays at the library. The librarians knew us by name. We even got invited to the Children Librarian's retirement party haha
There you have it. The top 10 reasons I love and miss Cincinnati. What a list :)
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