Welp, I’ve really transitioned! I’m still dealing with the last bits of final paperwork to become an actual Ohio resident, but I’m getting around places without a map, and it seems that I’ve been being social just as much as my time permits. I allllmost wanted to share the dumbest picture of myself with mascara tears running down my face from one of my first days here. It was refreshing to look back at that photo and realize how far I’ve come in just two months in this new life of mine. I’m a pretty emotional person, but this first month here I was an exceptionally tear-filled lady. Hah. Maybe I’ll have to share that with you all one day. For now it’s reserved for my mom, boyfriend, and Megs.

Speaking of Megs, she once again was able to come visit me for my birthday weekend! We were able to meet up with a new friend of mine, get brunch, watch the Iowa game, see a movie, and even jump into lake Erie from a boat in the wee hours of the morning. I might be stating this too much, but it is so nice to have a weekend like this after all the uncertainty I had about being able to settle down in a new town. It’s been amazing to meet new friends and start to make a place for myself here in Cleveland. I do do do have a long way to go still, but if it keeps going at even a fraction of how this month has gone, I’ll be one settled girl in no time. My good friend from undergrad, Gianna, was also able to visit another weekend in August. I was so grateful to see her and to explore Cleveland with her by my side. We went to the West Side Market, and gathered flowers and feasting materials for that night. Pretty dreamy if you ask me ;)

Other August highlights: Going to see a Browns game with a new friend (!), rowing my first regatta in over five years, and enjoying all the produce that these late summer months have to offer. Also, if you’re an architecture buff, Cleveland seems to have some pretty great untapped resources for exploration. On our way home from the Browns game, we walked through this wonderful — and mostly empty — building that seemed like it was out of a dream. It would be neat to take a day to explore downtown for the architecture alone. Does anyone know anything about Cleveland architecture? I’d love to be informed!

Cheers to the fall transition. xoxo