6 Places.

"6 places" could also indicate a wide array of place - are we talking cities? Parts of the world? Smaller places, like my bed? I decided to focus on cities and countries (with one more random but very much important one in the middle), especially in light of my recent travels :) These are just my top 6, and don't necessarily reflect what I did and didn't like in my semester abroad, but more are just designed to reflect a wide mix of several of my favorites!

1. Shaker.  Of course. The place I grew up, the place I always love coming back to, and the place I hope to settle down some day : Shaker Heights, Ohio. The more I see of America, the more I realize how rare a suburb like this is. Seriously, it's beautiful. Green grass everywhere, lakes, lots of schools, etc. Beautiful old houses. I have never seen a suburb that even comes close! As someone who loves to be outside, I think that has definitely increased my appreciation of this place. Love it :)

2. Miami/Oxford. When I first started college, I wasn't a huge fan of going to school in this tiny country-based college. Passing corn fields and cows on the 40-minute drive from the high way through the rural roads to campus in Oxford, Ohio, gave me anxiety. How could I ever get anywhere? Within a couple months there, it's charm and beauty really grew on me. I love being able to see the stars and constellations at night. Having space to breathe, away from lots of cars and buses and action. I would never want to live somewhere like Oxford when I grow up and get a job, but as a college destination, it's great. My four months living in Luxembourg City also showed me that I'm not a city-center lover. I like to see green grass. I like to be able to run around my neighborhood. So, maybe I'm even happier in Oxford than if I would've gone to a college in the middle of a city (though for college purposes, I think either one could make me happy :).

From one of my runs out in the corn fields :)

3. Being on a boat. Sailboat, rowing shell, even motorboat - I like to be at sea. There's nothing more peaceful to me than being out there with the water. Preferably in a rowing boat :)

4. The UK. I have never been to anywhere more high class and arguably cultured than England and Scotland. These were beautiful places with some of the kindest people, as well. The history in this part of the world is also extremely rich and impressive. We spent 11-12 days in this area (mostly in London) and I would LOVE to go back for weeks more. 

5. Northern California. I've already gone on a bit about this but the bay area of CA is one of my favorite places. Good weather (not too hot not too cold, no humidity), good people, cool culture. If only it was more practical to live there!

6. DC. This is a cool city. Once I was walking through a park here and a secret service dude just zoomed past like it was totally regular. I guess because there, it is. I like the feeling in DC that you're in a part of the world where some of the most important, big things are happening (which, arguably, there are!). DC is a place in America that has it's own rich, cultural history and is full of vibrant people and lots of action. It's a great place for young people to start out - and in fact, a huge percentage of the population is made up of young people! I've visited DC a handful of times and could make a handful more trips without getting tired of it (and probably more!). A great city.

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Today is my rest day from workouts because I am working from 8:00AM-6:00PM and baby-sitting from 7:00PM to 11:00PM. In other words...I couldn't fit it in if I tried! Have a good Saturday!