Happy Birthday Ohio!

Although Ohio gained statehood in March, not August, it became a state for us one year ago yesterday. I still hesitate (read: cringe) to call it "my" state, yet as we apply/fight for residency however, I am more inclined to say whatever it is that will give us a tuition break. So in case the University of Toledo Residency Committee is reading...I love Ohio and will never leave. Never. Moving on, we've been here a year!

To commemorate such an event, I feel the need to review my introduction to Toledo...toll roads were an unknown to Nate and I, so we quickly ran out of money on I-80. The last toll booth I stopped at was my favorite (I'm sure the booth worker's too): at that point, I had no money, save a few foreign coins, and I had lost the ticket I was supposed to give them. I was near tears, but I also figured she had to let me through at some point. She did and gave us a new route into town that avoided the rest of the tolls. We rolled in, saw a Costco on the verge of a grand opening, and somehow managed to find our way to our apartment. Looking back, Toledo may not be a booming metropolis, but it's still big enough to consider our apartment discovery miraculous.

Once we arrived, we crept in (it was 1am), our apartment and a summer's worth of heat welcomed us. The apartment was completely bare, hot and I was so tired I wasn't rational. Nate started moving around the blinds and windows in an effort to cool the place down. It was a good idea, but...most of the windows/blinds Nate opened or pulled up came crashing down, dramatically showing us that we would be renting an "old soul". Sometime around there, I started crying because I hadn't yet (it seemed like the time). It was so hot that we decided a visit to the local Comfort Inn would be the best choice for the evening, so instead of worrying about never waking up (from the heat), I worried about my car getting broken into.

Since then, I have worked 3 jobs, Nate has finished 1 year of law school, we've purchased 3 cats, joined the local YMCA, bought a Costco membership, and most important, learned how to enjoy life with lots of (foreign) change.

Here are a few pictures of our journey east.


Liz trying to look as much like Abe as possible

Nate studying a map in Wyoming

Generic Motel: The first fly is free!
(this place is in Nebraska for all who want to avoid or experience)