Part 204- Second Trip of the Summer: Ohio

So I went traveling again. But It was close! In-country traveling this time to the great state of Ohio. Now you may be thinking, Ohio? Why Ohio of all places? Ohio is the WORST. Come on now, it’s not ALL that bad. I mean it’s a little dull at times, has slow highways and bumpy roads, and is kind of old, but it’s not that bad. People say that everything abnormal happens in Ohio, but does it matter? Have you ever been to Ohio to say that? In the month-long- yes month-long- trip I was there I have not seen anything abnormal happen- yet. But then again, I was indoors majority of the time to escape the summer humidity and rainfall to see anything happen. Despite that, nothing happened.
But onto the actual question- why did I stay a whole month in Ohio?

Well, for starters, I am from Ohio. I was born there and lived there for about six years before moving to Texas where I have lived the other ten years of my life. The difference between the two states is strikingly different. For one, you have a small state you can get out of in two hours max while the other requires at least 5. One is near a Great Lake and experiences harsh, dead winters while the other is closer to the equator and has boiling summers. I think you can tell which is which from the two. There’s also the change in culture, accents, and mannerisms if you squint close enough. But enough about that. As anyone would be, you would be fond of a place you spent the majority of your life in or hold a lot of significance at. For me that’s Ohio, and it took me one trip to realize that.

See, what’s most special in Ohio for me is the people there. We have a big group of friends, 5 families (including mine), that began when our dads were bachelors. (Technically 6 families but we haven’t seen one of them in at least 12 years) Sometimes I think about how remarkable they were to all be able to stay friends for so long, that they were able to find the right people they got along with to call as friends, and how over time, as they all got married and had kids, it’s always stayed the same. That’s their story. My story begins with the kids. 

There are 8 of us in total. In order of current age, we are 18, 17, 16, 15, 13, 13, 9, and 4. (For privacy, I’ll refrain from using actual names.) The youngest two are the newest additions to our little group, making this trip more fun. I think it was amusing to see me running around with their older sibling, that I’ve known all my life, catching up with them like I didn’t move to the other end of the country while they were still trying to figure out who I was and why I suddenly was in their house. They eventually warmed up, or I think so. Other than that, we are an odd range of kids. The oldest just graduated last year and is now a college kid- something I never thought I would say. (It’s unbelievable how fast time goes by because why do I last remember building poor attempts at blanket forts and making plays with them, and now see them discussing dorm options and the necessity of protein powder instead? ) While the youngest has not even started kindergarten yet. (This is a huge contrast with his older sibling as she is now a high school sophomore and will graduate when he starts school. I think about how funny it would be 12 years later when he graduates, as there are random people in their late 20s to 30s attending his graduation, cheering him on in front of his friends. I then realize how much older I am than this kid and then panic.) I think it’s remarkable how we all clicked and grew together. See, what would happen if all of our parents were such close friends who met up often throughout the months while the kids hated each other? Thankfully it didn’t happen that way. I do recall that when we were younger, my friend, who is a year older than me (17), and I fought a lot. We’d always find something to argue about or tattle on each other. But we also got along well. We would do everything together- draw, watch movies, share the same bed, wear the same pajamas, everything. In a way, she’s like my twin; we get each other instantly and connect easily. I looked forward to seeing her the most during this trip as I had not seen her the longest. (The others visited in between, so she was the one I hadn’t seen in a while) It’s the way that you can easily click- pick up from where you left off- with someone you’ve known forever and keep going even if you haven’t seen each other in years. That’s how I felt with her. It was genuinely upsetting when we had to leave, but there is, hopefully, the prospect of seeing her graduate this upcoming year. You know, before I met her in person, I was nervous about what type of person she would turn out to be. In the past ten years, I had only seen her a few times online, and we didn’t text a lot. We stayed in contact but, it died down over time, so it was curious to know what she would be like all these years later. I’m happy to say that she is the same- just as silly and brilliant- as I last saw her and that we are in much more contact now. (We recently created a group chat with the 5 of us, and she was ‘crying’ about me leaving while the two thirteen-year-olds were just like ‘chill’) I’d also like to emphasize how talkative she is. In Japan, I bought matching keychains with little figures for my friend and took one (a tiger and a chipmunk) to give to her. She was the chipmunk, honorably named ‘yapper’ since we decided she talked just as much as a chipmunk would. (There’s this one moment from when I just visited that we were going to sleep, and I was exhausted, but she kept talking. It was so funny as soon as there was a lull in the one-sided conversation and muted acknowledgments, I would try to drift off to sleep but would quickly woken by her talking again.) 

I was also curious about the oldest. Amongst our friend group, he’s the only guy within our age range. (Gender-wise, it’s boy, girl, girl, girl, boy, boy, girl, boy) The youngest is 14 years younger, and the other two include his younger brother and his best friend- and those two are fresh teenagers. So, in a way, he wouldn’t talk to us much, getting older. We all grew in our ways, and from what I’ve heard in this past month about him, he grew into an impressive person. (If you’re reading this, please don’t get mad at anyone, but accept what I would say) From what I’ve heard and seen, he’s the best of all of us. He’s incredibly hardworking and goal-oriented, responsible and dedicated, with a little too much of an obsession to become taller and eat protein daily. He’s matured extensively over these past years, and it’s a quiet maturity of understanding and intelligence. He’s incredibly polite and interactive with the parents- all our parents, unlike what I or most kids do. He’s a great person, and I respect him for what he’s done and who he’s become. (I’m sorry for being a sap, but he has not said a single thing to any of us for at least six years- or me at least- so I think it’s pretty cool) 
For my now sophomore friend, she’s exactly how I would imagine her to be. I met her two years ago, so I had an idea of what she would be like, but it was fun to see her again. She uses an atrocious amount of Gen-Alpha slang and is close to 6 feet, making her tower over me. But she is incredibly savvy with her newfound Y2K style- and storage boxes of art supplies and failed paintings. I would say she’s the most different from how I remember her as a kid. In other aspects, rather than height or style, there’s also with just how she’s; gotten more comfortable with herself. It’s in her general personality, her dry humor and mannerisms.The way she says the most absurd things with the straightest face known. The way she interacts and rolls her eyes, tells a story or tells her brother off. It’s a good contrast to the rest of the group I would say. She keeps the balance between the two of us, with me laughing way too much for who knows what reason. The dynamics between her and her 4-year-old brother are insane, with one begging to play with water guns and do dance parties while the other pinches his cheeks, telling him no, and wants to read her favorite manga series. (She does give in, and they play together more often than not) I feel bad for her brother and how he’d react when she goes to college, but I think he would be fine. 

The two 13-year-olds are interesting. They are probably the closest out of all of us, being both the same age. As babies, they would masterfully communicate with each other despite speaking Marathi while the other Telugu. Somehow, they understood each other, and it worked. They are best friends, always taking each other’s side in the group chat when we older kids bully them (namely me and my senior friend). We started this idea that they are ‘one of the girls’, calling out their mannerisms and saying how girly-pop slay they are. (They hate us extensively for that, but deep down, they know we’re right) The one who speaks Marathi lives in Columbus as well but visited us recently. I remember how, as a kid, he was always small. Small face, short, big-round eyes, and chubby cheeks. He had a high-pitched voice as well and got along easily with all of us. He was undeniably cute, and it was hard to see him be the same age as the other since he looked so small. The Telugu-speaking kid is interesting. When I was younger it was funny how he constantly chased his older brother around, complaining to their parents about each other. But they cared about each other. (There’s this one video of us at Thanksgiving the last time I visited, where my college friend got up and was helping out his brother by talking to the camera about what he was thankful for) Now when they’re older, I talk to the younger one more. He’s insanely chatty- which is probably why my senior friend says he’s nice to talk to. I remember the first day they got back from India- as we were temporarily staying in their house- he came down the stairs, surprised to see me downstairs early morning, and was talking to me freely, as if we had just seen each other the other day. I spent a lot of time with him- going to the annual summer homecoming fair (which I completely forgot about) and having him try funnel cake for the first time (an outrage), doing late-night hangouts with the sophomore that involved pizza, cranes, and hair curling, mid-day ice cream runs with my dad, late night trips to just-closed and missed Chipotles and Taco Bells, going to Macy’s in a difficult manner where he proceeded to mess around with the mannequins; all were memorable. 
To say I’m overly emotional over things and people is true.

To my friends who are reading this, I love you guys so much. To see you all after so long was one of the best things that’s happened to me, and I desperately hope we all stay in touch and meet again soon. You’ve all inspired me in so many ways since I met you, and I hope that the next time I see you, I can also share something I’ve accomplished and hopefully reciprocate the same back. I’m so glad that our parents were fateful enough to meet and stay together, allowing us to also grow together. 

Regarding Ohio, it was referring to going back. It was a different perspective, in terms of stat-wise as well as seeing my old town ten years later, I can remember and connect to much more now, at this age, allowing me to take in more and appreciate more than I probably did the last time I visited. Everything was mostly the same- my old house with new young residents, the town square with a rigid clock tower, the STAGES daycare, which I despised, and my old Le Chaperone Rouge (The Nest Schools now) that I cherished, the old South Park Mall where I distinctly remember the movie patterns above the in-mall Cinemark, the backside of my mother’s old lab as we visited her old colleague and professor, and much more. I felt comfortable there, peaceful. It leads you to wonder what would happen if I never moved what would my life be like? Would I have excelled in some things better than others, grown a particular way, or turned out differently? Would I still like the same thing I do now, meet similar people and friends as I have now, or be frustrated with the same issues as I am today? But in a way, I like having two lives- two connections. I can simply go back to each place comfortably, and feel at home without much thought. 

It’s more than just the state, but rather the people there. And that gives Ohio a very special place in my heart.