25 Pieces of Beautiful Chaos

In what felt like the blink of an eye, my August Freedom turned into October Chaos and has now transitioned into November. I say chaos in the best sense of the word. I read a quote that sums it up:

“There’s chaos out there, and chaos means opportunity.”

My chaos has been the best kind. The kind where I’m constantly on the go, trying new things, meeting new people, going all in. I have said yes to every opportunity that has come my way. The last couple months have not been a “get your feet wet” period of time. Instead, I went for the cannonball, and Cincinnati was ready and waiting for me to make a splash.

In honor of turning 25 since my last post, here are 25 highlights of my Cincinnati experience in the last couple months.

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On Being On

I am a very social person. I thrive on meeting people, trying new things, striking up conversations and hearing people’s stories. Lucky for me, that’s what the tourism industry is all about. It’s not just about planning a trip, showing people around and selling a city. It’s about making friends. It’s about making lasting connections. It’s about realizing that the people you work with, the people that run a city, the people that are visiting – they’re all just people. They’re wandering through life just the same way we are, just down their own unique paths.

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Cincinnati Weekend

Now that it’s the weekend, I thought I’d share a brief itinerary of how I spent last weekend. With so much to do in this lively and historic city, it’s important to spend time taking it all in. Don’t waste two precious days of sunshine and free time. Instead, explore.

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FRIDAY

After a busy day at work, I started my weekend festivities with some good eats and happy hour drinks.

Gomez Salsa

Located in Over-the-Rhine, like so many of my other local favorites so far, Gomez Salsa is a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Literally, it’s a hole in the wall. A window on 12th Street, just east of Walnut Street, has sheets of paper and pencils in a slot nearby for customers to check boxes for their order and turn it in through the window.

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Red Bike, Rhinegeist & Ryan

My second week in Cincinnati was just as eventful as the first. People in my office keep telling me I started at a great time. Last week at work we had a team lunch at a brand new restaurant called Maplewood Kitchen and Bar and a wedding shower for a coworker. We had an office outing at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State where we cooked with professional chefs, and we ended the week with an ice cream social for our entire building.

Alongside the fun, I’m still keeping busy with the actual responsibilities of my job. A lot of time is being spent preparing for the upcoming NAACP National Convention, which is expected to draw tons of national media coverage due to the election year. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are expected to speak, so needless to say it’s one of our biggest events of the summer. I’ve also been programming newsletters to send out to CVB members, and reaching out to trade publications to promote Cincinnati for their upcoming issues.

But you’re here for the entertaining stuff, right? Enough about me…you want to know about Cincinnati! Well lucky for you (and for me!), I’ve continued discovering all that Cincy has to offer. Here are the highlights from last week.

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Starting in the Queen City

Today is the start of a new adventure for me. A new chapter in my life. A fresh start.

Last night I settled into my new home in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I’ll be working as a communications coordinator at the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau. My family and I traveled roughly 13 hours in the car, endured horribly hot and humid weather as we packed and unpacked my things, and finally collapsed in a box-filled apartment.

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