all-american, currently

Occasionally, I have a terrifying thought: I'm going to live in the U.S. for the rest of my gosh darn life. Terrifying, yes; silly, also yes. For as critical as I can be about this country (and its politics), places like Columbus remind me why I also admire its becoming.

Quite a few weekends ago, I ventured to Columbus, OH for work... and it was lovely. Showcasing a medley of American architecture, signage from other eras, and neighborhoods named for the immigrants that first populated them, the city beckoned a reminder of the drudgery, hope, and economic/social woes that have so defined this country. It was impressively charming and sincere in that way.

{Airbnb in Olde Towne East}

{The Ohio State University}

{Italian Village}

{Germantown}

{Downtown}

{Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens}

The people I met there were, too. Following the event, I took a seat next to a solo diner at a Short North bar. He'd lived in Columbus for almost two decades and spoke to the evolution of the city. He'd also recently bought a house, and was thereby pretty set on staying. It was then, as we exchanged local and faraway stories, that I had a scarier thought: how nice it sounded to settle down in the world without settling. I found myself in a similar vein of consciousness this past weekend in Charleston. Photos on that trip to come...