Make Time: Pit Stop Pittsburgh into Cincinnati

Relaxing with my mom always gets me energized for life, and makes me look at things in a more happy and positive light. We cooked great meals, watched movies, and talked a bunch. We went to the movie Interstellar, which made me continue to see the big picture and my place in the world. We had a timeless and effortlessly perfect few days together. I left around 8:30am on Thursday morning, and got stuck in some lame-ass traffic en route to Philly, my first stop on my 9 hour road trip to Cincinnati.

Wait.

Why am I going to Cincinnati? A friend of mine from college, Jim, who I hadn't talked to in any of the 14 years since, saw that I was traveling the entire US and offered to fly us on a weekend adventure in his plane. Jim was a hyper-intelligent, hyper-competitive, and hyper-alpha character in college. He was a starting linebacker, running the defense on the field, and an honors-caliber electrical-engineering major when not knocking heads off on the football field. Strong, reserved - even quiet at times, but warm and full of positivity, Jim was always someone we all looked up to in school. He graduated a year ahead of me and most of my friends, but throughout college I never lived too far from him. We had plenty of adventures and laughs in college, but for one reason or the other , we never continued after school. It makes complete sense that Jim is now running a company, has his pilots license, and is married with three amazing kids. It fits.

So - back to my road trip from Princeton, NJ to Cincinnati. I get up at 8:30am and I know I have to get a new headlight in my car. Unfortunately right after I got my car back from an oil change at my mom's mechanic, the head light went out. Fishy? Maybe, but not really because I know my mom's mechanics and they are straight up guys. Anyway, I decide to get on the road first before finding a place to get the light fixed. I stop off in Philly to visit and say goodbye to a few friends before getting on the road. I tried to find a place to get my light fixed but got annoyed with traffic in the city so I just continued on the road. I decided that Pittsburgh was about 4 hours away so why not get there and get it fixed. Done. I pull into Pittsburgh around 4pm and grab a new headlight and am back on the road. Cincinnati is about 4 more hours away, I see an amazing sunset on the way out of town, and am feeling great to get to my old friends place. I pull in around 8:45pm and it's amazing to see Jim and meet his very cool wife Jody. Jim and Jody met in NYC just after college and they both knew right away - they were meant for one another. Love their energy together. Their daughters Molly (2nd grade) and Lucy (1st grade) sneak out of their bedroom to come say hi. So cute. We catch up a bunch before passing out.

A few great pics from the walls of my mom's :)

Me with Uncle Robert and my Aunt Susan's side of the family (back when I was in SF)

My gramma Ruth, who is now 100. She is on the right. Her dad was named Luli, and he was a tailor. Her mom was named Sophie and she was a seamstress. They always made all the children's clothes :) So amazing.