Surprise!

Ok, fine. Maybe I've been a bit hard on the US as a whole lately. And I'll be the first to admit that while I'll always prefer Europe I am, no question, absolutely an American at heart and am proud of that. Overall, we are a warm, welcoming group of people, albeit a loud and opinionated and vocal one. But what we may lack in European decorum we make up for in strength and self-assurance. That's one thing I love about Cleveland in particular; the people of Cleveland are incredibly resilient and we band together as a giant community. Yes, while we arguably have some of the worst weather and sports teams, the dirtiest river, the most structural decay, and highest unemployment in the US, we also have the Lake, the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Lakeview Cemetery, the Metroparks where I love to run, and people who would never dream of leaving this city and who respect and love Cleveland and other Clevelanders whole-heartedly. We are real people who don't pretend to be be anything we're not and we will forever take care of our own.

The Metroparks trail, mile marker 5

The Cleveland Clinic, my old stomping grounds

I really do try to find the best in every situation and maybe that's part of the reason I love exploring all the cities I've lived in and then hasten to write about what I find. It's all in an effort to pick out each one's most admirable aspects. But since I've spend most of my life in the suburbs of Cleveland I've had the most time to dig around there. Yet until now I've kept most of those discoveries to myself because it wasn't until I moved abroad that I started recording my life online (it's debatable whether that's a mistake or not, but let's leave that sided-argument for another time).

at the Lakeview Cemetery, one of my all-time favorite places, period.

But for the next three weeks I am back in Cleveland and it only seems fair to include everything I do here as part of my semi-chronological blog-timeline, too.

Oh, right. I didn't tell anyone in Cleveland I was coming home for Christmas. SURPRISE!!! So let me start at the beginning.

The Pier at Huntington Beach in Bay. Another fave.

Mid November I decided I didn't want to sit alone in my room on a vacant campus, left to my own devices during the month long Winter Break. Meaning, I would be typing up literature reviews the whole time. Believe me, I'm nothing of a trouble maker and “left to my own devices” I'd end up just reading and running those 3 weeks if I had the option. So after intentionally living far below my means all semester I'd saved up enough money to be able to buy a plane ticket back to Cleveland. And, oddly enough and as if by fate, the cheapest round trip flight landed at Hopkins on December 20^th; my mom's birthday. This opportunity struck me as the ideal way to give my mom a birthday present, namely ME!! I would keep my plans a secret and show up on the 20^th and surprise her. But in order to prevent a leak I had to refrain from telling my secret plans to anyone who might accidentally let the news slip to my mom. Meaning all news had to be kept off Facebook and from anyone in Bay, where news travels like wildfire. 

The view from my house out towards Lake Erie last winter

Here we are!!! Our inseparable trio

My original plan involved only two individuals, my two beloved neighbors and forever best friends, who agreed to pick me up at the airport. Eventually my brother was let in on the secret when I decided to send my family off to dinner for the night of my arrival. After arranging for their night out in advance, I realized I needed someone in place to stall in case I was held up at the airports for any reason. So I put my trust in Nick to hold my parents back at the restaurant as long as necessary, until I could arrive and shout “Surprise!!”.

Cleveland Metroparks

Me and Jeff at the Lakeview Cemetery

As if by the will of God every aspect of my journey was flawless and arranged perfectly and on time. After an incredibly long day which included a 5 hour layover in Detroit (where I realized it would've been faster if I had rented a car and drove home instead) I landed in Cleveland and nearly collapsed into the arms of my besties from weariness and overwhelming happiness just at seeing them again. It was at that moment that I fully appreciated how much I missed them, my family, and my city and realized what a relief it was to be home. Just as I'd literally let all my baggage drop, so did the weight of every overseas-related stressor. 

Me and Pat starring in 'Accidental Reaping'

Back in my assigned seat on the passenger's side, I rode with my boys to meet up with my family where they were waiting for me, completely unaware of my oncoming presence. Then, 20 hours after waking up in London earlier that morning, I walked through the doors of the little Bistro where I immediately spotted my Mom, Dad, and little brother sitting together at the table closest to the door. I'd finally made it....and needless to say their looks of shock and surprise and happiness made all my secret planning completely worth the effort.

 

It also goes without saying that the parents cried and hugged and cried some more. According to them, they had simply accepted the fact that I was never coming home and they'd probably never see me again (to which I asked, “Not even if I got married or had kids? I really hope you'd make an effort for at least one of those two occasions to come to Europe. Sell....something, anything, if you have to to make it happen!”). It just goes to show you how supportive of parents they are, though, to let their child go with the understanding that those last goodbyes at the airport back in September could have, in their minds, been their last words to me face-to-face. When you're as close as I am with my parents that, I think, would be an unbelievably hard thing to accept. 

Me and Nick, my baby brother who helped me pull off this feat.

Granted I arrived just as the food was being brought out so by the time I ordered and got my own food everyone else was done. Call me rude for ordering that late into the meal but I literally had not eaten a bite the whole day and after an international journey, which had followed a week of on-edge nerves, I was famished and shaking from hunger. Thankfully, I'd brought French macarons, the puffy cream-filled Laduree brand, to entertain them in the mean time, a feat easily achieved with those tiny flavor-bursting cookies.

 

But the night was far from over. With the intention of celebrating my return, four of us, my friends and I, went over to the Tremont neighborhood to Southside to catch up and listen to live music. However, it hardly makes for a lively evening when one of us is falling asleep on the table and is thus as risk for collapsing entirely into a heap on the floor. One fruity cocktail in and I was ready for bed.

Naturally, the very first thing I did the next day, my first full day back in Cleveland, was go to the gym and reinstate my membership. Of all the corporate places I missed most in Cleveland my gym was top of the list.

 

There are few rivals in the UK to the giant open spaces and dozens of machines available at the newest US gyms. I got to drive the Camero, which was a treat in itself, being behind the wheel again, over to the gym super early in the morning, just like old times. 5AM workouts, just like I like it. 

Then I tuned in to 100.7 WMMS, to listen to those crazy guys on Rover's Morning Glory. And I'll be damned if that didn't make me miss my rush-hour morning drives to the Clinic every day. Cleveland radio; who would've thought that, of all things, would be something I'd miss about this place. Music and humor just isn't as rough and tough and down and dirty in the UK. Everyone needs a little bit of “hard core” once in a while, *wink wink*, and Cleveland is good for that. Like, for seriously.

Let's see, what else have I done in the past few days? Well, basically all my time has been spent with my two boys, P&J. We went to Erie Island Coffee company, the best vanilla lattes in Cleveland. Believe me when I say I've tried them all, meaning I've literally visited every coffee house in Cleveland, westside and eastside (yeah, I cross the border, so what?) and found, by process of elimination, the best. Erie Island is #2 on the list of places I missed most, I think. And I will admit to visiting there twice in 3 days since I've been home.

We also tried out the new Bonbon cafe off of West 25^th St. where one of our dearest friends is head chef (a shoutout of congrats to him!!). Interestingly, I had the very English 'Bubble and Squeek' at Bonbon before I'd ever tried it in the UK. As a side note, they also have excellent vanilla lattes. AND they sell chocolate French macarons....which were tempting but as I'm near-broke and on a lifelong diet I resisted. 

I've been Xmas shopping with the boys, as well, visiting all the mega-malls and outdoor shopping centers...which, I have to say (so shoot me) were pretty lame compared to London, where it's like Black Friday all year 'round and every store is packed with unique fabulousness.

And that's all, folks. I think I'm basically up to date. Time to go work on the giant Christmas Crossword Puzzle from the Plain Dealer. I WILL finish it this year if it kills me.