Adios, Cleveland

It's pretty surreal that this is my last weekend in Cleveland ever. I mean, not ever ever. Maybe I'll be back some day for a weekend or something. Who knows, really. I would say who knows when the next time I'll be in Cleveland will be, but I already know I'm coming back at the end of the month so I can help out a co-worker with dog-sitting BUT STILL. My life in Cleveland as I knew it is coming to a close. Hell, it's already come to a close. My friends walk today at their graduation ceremonies, joining me in the alumni club. We'll go out tonight to celebrate and tomorrow, it all ends.

It's pretty dramatic for me to put it like that, but dedicating this entire week on the blog to me moving out is also pretty dramatic, so really, this fits in quite well I'd say. It's so weird. It feels like just yesterday that I made my final decision to come to Cleveland State. I think I unofficially decided in the late winter of 2013, but by this time four years ago I was dead set on studying here and packing up my life to move it a couple of states over. Now I'm moving onto my next decision: heading to New York with eyes and arms wide open.

Cleveland did a lot for me. Or maybe it just helped me do a lot for myself. I don't really know how to describe it. I've always been the same person, but this city just brought something out of me that I didn't realize was there. I could attribute it to getting older, to meeting new people, to Taylor Swift's album 1989 (I still stand by the fact that that album changed my life and shaped me into the person I am right now, but that's a story for another time)(or a story that I think I've already told a thousand and one times on this blog already). 

I tell a lot of people this and I know I've said it before (honestly, I repeat myself so much on this blog but what do you expect when I have a short term memory and post daily on this thing?), but I didn't expect to love Cleveland as much as I do. I know part of my Cleveland is the people that I've met along the way, but even just the city itself will always have a special place in my heart. I will forever and continue to root for Cleveland sports teams. You'll catch me at any possible Cleveland versus New York match-ups, mark my words. My love for Jason Kipnis will never die. I'll complain about the lack of Barrio-esque dining establishments wherever I go until the day I die.

My chapter in Cleveland comes to an end this weekend and I plan on making my last few days here the most wonderful conclusion to a time in my life that I will cherish forever. I would say I hate to sound so lame, but you know what, I like being a little sentimental sometimes. I wouldn't feel like me if I didn't get a little bit emotional over this.

Cleveland, let's do this thing one last time!