23
I was born in Cleveland, OH and lived there the first 7
years of my life. From 2nd to
4th grade my family lived in Dallas, TX. I have very emotional connections to both
places. When I was just a few weeks shy
of turning 10, my parents told us we were moving to Columbus, OH (we almost
moved to Des Moines, IA instead, yikes!).
My entire family was pretty devastated by the news but Columbus has
really treated me (and everyone in my family) extremely well. It really is an under-acclaimed gem in the
heart of the Midwest/Rust Belt. Among
others, one point of pride in Columbus is its diverse economy. Being the capital city of Ohio, there is a
lot of government work here. Given the
size of it (in and out of the top spot in the country) Ohio State University
drives a big part of this city. Columbus
is also strong in the financial sector with strong representation from
Nationwide Insurance (my sister Maureen’s employer) and JPMorgan Chase (JPMC
has the largest single-tenant office building in the U.S.A. right here in Columbus!). Distribution is another major industry, being
a strategic transportation hub to all parts of the country for tires, healthcare
supplies, apparel, raw materials, you name it.
Additionally, retail (including restaurant retail) is big with
headquarters including Limited (my old employer), Victoria’s Secret (my current
employer), Bath & Body Works, EXPRESS (my sister Carolyn’s employer), PINK,
Abercrombie & Fitch, Justice, Lane Bryant, 31 Gifts, Bob Evans, Big Lots,
Wendy’s (my Dad’s former employer), White Castle, DSW (Anissa’s favorite store
EVER), and Bravo/Brio Group. I won’t get
into the other details now, but with a burgeoning arts scene, healthy foodie
scene, and young demographic, Columbus is a fun place to be. So what I am getting at here is that Columbus
has a lot to offer, and that’s why, sans a 1 year hiatus to Charlotte, NC, I
have spent every year in Columbus since I was 10.
On to 23. I honestly
cannot remember ever “learning” to love the Ohio State Buckeyes. It was pure indoctrination and it is a way of
life in Columbus. Football season is
year-round. Home-game Saturdays mean
that the almost 2 million people in the area are either down on campus or at
home glued to the TV. It’s actually a
great time to get anything done – the roads are EMPTY. Any shopping venue is a ghost town. But don’t count on getting a seat at any
place that serves alcohol unless you get there 2 hours before kickoff. So 23 is the number of games in a row that
the Ohio State football team has won. I
don’t care how weak a team’s schedule is; this is a big accomplishment. I wanted to jump on this opportunity to publicly
proclaim my allegiance to Ohio State football.
Aside from total brain-washing from a very young age, my maniacal
support was sealed when my Dad took me to Tempe, AZ where Ohio State ended
Miami’s (FL) 34-game winning streak to take the 2003 national
championship. To this date it is the
best vacation I ever had. And I have
been a totally obsessed fan ever since. The
reason I mention my early background in Cleveland and Dallas is that it played
a part in my Ohio State fanaticism. We
probably all know the story with Cleveland sports. It’s mostly sad with some highlights from my
Indians here and there. I needed something
to believe in. When I lived in Dallas
the Cowboys were AMAZING (Super Bowl champs in 1992, 1993, and 1995). They taught me how exciting it was to root
for winners. Then I moved to Columbus
and fell in love. While I hold
allegiances to Cleveland and Dallas sports on the professional level, I
definitely follow collegiate football much more closely. Go Browns.
Go Cowboys. AND GO BUCKEYES!
Side note: I am
currently getting my MBA at Ohio State but my undergraduate degree is from
Miami (OH). While I support Miami
athletics, they are only competitive in hockey and that is the one sport for
which I root for Miami over Ohio State.
#Loveandhonor to Miami!
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