Most people are desperate to get out of the Midwest. (Have you ever seen Glee? Or talked to someone from small town Ohio?) But here I am getting all sentimental about it. I’m thrilled about moving to Florida, but I’ll always love the Buckeye State! Here’s what I’ll miss the most:
1. Shouting ‘OH’ and instantly getting an ‘IO’ from a stranger across the street or behind you in the checkout line. You become part of the community in record time! Of course, many Ohioans are snow birds so I’ll still see lots of scarlet and grey in Florida, but it’s not the same.
2. Buckeyes, Buckeyes everywhere! I mean the nut, the candy and (fans of) the college football team. (Bob Evans restaurants down in Central Florida sometimes have the candy though!).
3. Tony Packo’s. I first heard of the restaurant as a kid, watching M*A*S*H. Corporal Klinger said, “If you’re ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo’s got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs”. Years later, as a twenty-something living in Northwest Ohio, I finally got to taste the chili (sweet but spicy!), fried dill pickles and those famous Hungarian hot dogs. Totally lived up to the hype!
4. The ‘Little Place’. My family owned a duplex near University of Findlay. It was tiny, but cozy. We had just enough room to barbecue outside, and could watch the Oilers’ football practice from the parking lot across the road.
5. Midwestern accents. They’re adorable! Come on!
6. Seasons. From my year-long stint in Florida as a teenager, I know seasons in the Sunshine State are summer, summer, slightly cooler summer and almost summer. In Ohio, Mother Nature enjoys much more variety. I guess I won’t have to miss seasons too much since I’ll still be spending a lot of time in my Canadian home town of Toronto, but it’s not the same.
7. Sharing a state with LeBron James. Did you see him in Trainwreck? Amazing!! I love his ambition and his adoration for Ohio.
8. Pop. Sure, it tastes the same in the south as it does up north. And sure, I call it soda because I think soda sounds more bubbly and delicious. But I get the feeling that hearing “it’s called pop, not soda!” will make me nostalgic one day soon.
What do you love (or miss) most about your home state?