Cleveland Parks: Chapin Forest

One thing I love about Cleveland is the amount of awesome parks around. I decided that I'm going to go to the different parks and then post pictures about them. This also will kill about 15 birds with one stone. It will allow me to stay active because I will be able to walk my dog. I will be able to complete some of my 23 before 24 list. I'll also be able to get more practice in on my new DSLR camera. One of the things I love about parks is that they each have their own personalities.

The first park I went to was Chapin Forest, which is part of Lake Metroparks in Kirtland, Ohio. I actually went here twice already because I decided I wanted to take pictures and blog about them. One thing I love about this park is the fact that there is a scenic overlook that allows you to see the lake and downtown Cleveland! It also has really cool ledges, which I wish I could have taken more pictures of. It is super hard to take good pictures when you're holding onto a dog that keeps moving every which way, but luckily I got her to be a little patient with me!

Good-bye, Cincinnati

I meant to write this post before I left Cincinnati, but, alas, that is life. I got the inspiration to write this post here.

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Dear Cincinnati,

I know in the five years I lived here I wanted to get out. I always bragged about how Cleveland was better, even though I still stand by that. I dreamed about being somewhere else without taking the time to appreciate where I was at the moment. I will admit, I HATED Clifton, but the city as a whole wasn't that bad.

Looking back I realized I wasted so much time in that city. I spent most of the time only knowing UC and Clifton. I didn't have a car so it made it difficult to get around. However, the last several months showed me that the city really did have so much to offer. I spent the last several months trying new restaurants and exploring new venues. I felt like I did so much, and yet I didn't even scratch the surface of all the things I wanted to explore.

The last few months were the first time in all the years I had been there that I didn't want to leave. Maybe it was because I knew I had a great group of friends there that I no longer have in Mentor. Maybe it was because I realized the city wasn't so bad. Despite my efforts to stay, I knew God has a bigger plan for me that required me to leave. As I am sitting at my parents' house writing this post I don't see that plan and I'm starting to doubt that there ever was one. 

I just wanted to write this post because after all that happened you made this die-hard Cleveland girl turn a soft spot to you. You have changed my outlook on the way I view life and the places I'm living. I loved the culture, history, and values your city shared. I always loved Cleveland, but I think I was always too young and naive to really discover what I  loved about it. Cincinnati, you have made me excited to discover my own city in the same way that I discovered you.

Last Days of Work

I officially ended my last day at work yesterday. The past two weeks since I officially put in my two weeks had been so emotional. I received so many words of praise and encouragement from not only the residents but also the staff. It made me feel a little guilty because I would complain that I hated my job. I didn't really hate it, I actually loved most of the staff I worked with, but I just always felt I was bound for better things since I had a college degree. I had worked there for 3 years! I can't believe it. Unfortunately, I had worked there part time for most of it, so I never got to forge the friendships that I eventually had until the end when I accepted the full time position in April. 

The past two days were extra emotional. I saw residents and staff start to cry when we said "good-bye." I gave about five dozen hugs, and I'm not even a hugging person. I received cards of thanks from residents, and words of gratitude from staff. I also cried. I have always been a hard-worker. It's just in my nature. However, the past few days have really shown me that even though I may not feel like what I am doing is being noticed, it really is.

Writing this post is making me emotional. I can't go back and change my attitude on days that it was off. That is over and done. But I can hold onto the good memories and hope that I will be just as lucky in my next job.

Good-bye, LSOP. It has been a good three years.

Blog Swap 2012: Childhood Summer Vacation

This year I participated in my first ever blog swap through 20something Bloggers. The theme for this post was a childhood vacation, and I was paired up with Tyler, who has written a wonderful post complete with pictures on a childhood summer vacation! You can read my own post, here, on his blog as well!

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Summer vacations as a child went between time at a cabin at a nearby lake and trips to Ontario to see my mom’s side of the family (my dad’s side lives where I live). So pretty much every summer, we would leave the city and go to a place where you were just steps from the water and could easily jump into a lake if you wanted to.
	When we would go to Ontario, a place you just had to visit was Sauble Beach. Situated on Lake Huron, it has been named the best freshwater beach in Canada, and for good reason. Every time I go there, I think of one of those typical resort towns that you see in the movies – complete with a burger stand on the beach, water that seems to go on forever (it actually doesn’t – Michigan is on the other side somewhere) and an amusement park right off of the main road. We used to drive right onto the beach (although you can`t do that anymore), set up a spot to stay for the day, and go out into the water. Because of the sandbars, you could walk out for quite a long way. It is still like that as a beach but it has become very popular among those around there (not that it wasn`t before) and having a Readers Digest section name it the best beach has helped with that a lot.
Something else we would often do is go to a waterfall that is literally in the city and go hiking on the paths around it. Because of the location of the Niagara Escarpment, you can actually see water coming right off the side of the road, and when the waterfall is running a full power, it is quite the thing to see. It has actually been featured in the beginning of a Jackie Chan film.
	Another thing that there is to do is head up the coast of Georgian Bay and take the glass bottom boat to Flower Pot island. On the way there, you can see shipwrecks through the bottom of the boat (well you used to be able to, but the boat has since sunk itself) and then you get to spend time on the island itself, exploring all that is around you.
When we didn`t go to Ontario, we would go to a lake closer to home, rent a cabin there, and have a lot of fun just relaxing and going to the beach. We would be able to live in relative seclusion from everything else that was going on in the world, though there was a time when we had a bad storm and it managed to knock out most of our power. Or there was the time that our neighbours found out that we would not be returning the next year and so their daughter threw an egg at my head. I was very glad we were at a lake.
Overall, my childhood summer vacations were very much a fun part of my life and in fact, I still often travel to the beach or Ontario and spend my summers lazing in the sun, although that often results in a sunburn.

M.I.A

Hello, all! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I'm in the process of packing up to move back in with my parents 4.5 hours away. Not only am I packing, continuing to look for jobs, and trying to fit in some last minute hang out times with friends, I am also very depressed. I am depressed for a number of reasons, which aren't too hard since I couldn't find a job, have to move away from my friends, and move in with my parents. This depression has left me uninspired to blog. Hopefully, I will be back soon. 

P.S. I just got my Bamboo Tablet which I am currently trying to figure out! I'm excited to start using it though!