Midterms are pretty much behind me and I must say that they were intense…two papers and an exam all due in the same week. Time management was the key to my survival, this basically meant that I would have to forego the gym, order more take out/delivery, and heavily limit my time reading ‘useless’ websites such as ESPN and Maxboxing.
I decided that after writing my thirty page paper for Professor Kaufman’s class, my five page paper for Professor Lloyd’s class, and taking my in-class exam for Professor Prieger’s class, that a break was in order. While some of my classmates chose to hang around town and get some much needed rest or head to the culturally rich Las Vegas desert, I decided to something completely different. I explored the American Midwest. I found a red-eye flight to the Rustbelt of America, Cleveland, Ohio.
This was my first trip to the Midwest and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Most people thought I was insane for opting to hop an a redeye from LAX to Hopkins International instead of somewhere ‘cool’ such as Chicago, but the ‘uncoolness’ of Cleveland is exactly what drew me there. I made arrangements with a close friend of mine from undergrad and like that was off on my adventure.
Ohio was a stark contrast to my life in Los Angeles. I have never experienced a real autumn, Ohio changed that. It was freezing cold and pouring rain when I arrived. I hopped on the Rapid train and made my way to Tower City near the Warehouse District. Cleveland offered me many questions to ponder…Why did I bother to leave the sunshine and ninety degree weather, what do people here do, how is the economy affecting this area, etc…
I noticed immediately that I stood out. Cleveland is a fishbowl. Many people there seem to know each other and were quick to point out that I was a fresh face. I had the chance to meet some young adults at the Panini Grill on 6th Street and chat about what they do. Some worked in finance, some worked blue collar jobs, and some were facing the hardships associated with the growing unemployment rate. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics in August 2009 Ohio had an unemployment rate of 10.5%.
Many of the street vendors and local eatery workers that I met were quite grateful that I decided to go against the grain and spend my greenbacks in the city. A few of the young ladies that I met at The Barley House, a local sports bar in the warehouse district, told me about how rough the job market has been lately. I couldn’t quite grasp how this city with a wealth of human capital could have so many college graduates working menial jobs just to scrape by. I thought about this for the better part of my trip, it seemed to me that there was a distinct line between those with jobs and money and those without. During one such conversation, the topic of graduate school arose and as it turns out that my new friend in Ohio had a friend who attended Pepperdine Law and graduated with my cousin Tank. Talk about six degrees of separation.
Ohio was pretty. I saw the wild waves of Lake Erie. Hiked around Squires’ Castle, saw some amazing foliage, and enjoyed the best cup of coffee at Heck’s Restaurant. FYI I am a coffee snob, Heck’s hands down had the best cup of coffee I have ever tasted and a pretty tasty egg and apple omelet.
Decompression was good. I appreciated the time I had to take in the scenery and readjust to human life. I did bring a couple of books to keep my busy during my flights and spent some time chatting politics and job/internship possibilities with a lobbyist from DC. All in all this was a good trip and one that I will likely not forget. Back to the books I go.
Very sweet man. I had no idea you were heading out that way. That’s less than two hours away from my hometown, and I’ve got a few friends in Cleveland. Seems like you enjoyed it.