Ohio, Part Four: This is Dedicated to the Ones I Love

When visiting places, I am constantly reminded that wonderful people are everywhere. No matter where I've lived on this earth, it seems that I've managed to meet some of the most awesome people that there are. These people have not only become my friends, but my family. Ohio is no different. I miss Ohio not because of the topography or because I miss the "city life" or "the college life" but because I had an amazing group of friends. When I saw them all at the birthday bash, or the zoo, or the parks, I realized just how lucky I am to have my "Ohio friends" even if it's from a thousand miles away.
A trip to Ohio wouldn't be complete without a trip to Buckeye Village. Everyone that we knew in BV has moved away to greener pastures, or at least better living conditions. So, we just did a quick drive-by of our house. Eli remembered where we lived, where Sofia lived and which sports were played in each stadium. Sadie didn't even recognize our house. We spent an evening with our dear BV friends: Ileana, Isain, Dario and Sofia, and Laura and Satya. When Eli and Sadie saw Sofia for the first time in 2 years, they remembered who she was and they picked up as if a day hadn't past. It was so great to see Dario, who struggled so much with his health from the very beginning, running and laughing and talking in both English and Spanish and giving kisses and being just the most charming and sweetest little guy around. Those kids spent so much time together playing in the courtyard between our two houses. It was fun to see the friendship blossom again!
Speaking of friendships, look at this gang. They too picked up right where they left off. Jackson, Luke and Eli were fast friends.

A special thanks to Matt and Katie who let us crash at their house. The kids all had a blast and Katie and I got to spend the evening chatting away and catching up. The kids all slept in Luke and Michael's room with flashlights and stuffed animals and light sabers and toys galore that there was hardly any room for them all to fit, but they all squished in and managed to sleep like little angels.

We had a fantastic trip. Thanks to everyone for making an extra effort to see us while we were visiting. It was great to see everyone and reconnect. Hopefully, it won't be another 2 years before we make it back. But, if it is, I'm sure we'll pick right back up where we left off! Love you!