Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022
With 2021 wrapped up and us heading into 2022, I took a small break from posting for the holidays to take the time to dedicate a post to write about the things I have in mind for the upcoming year as well as some personal goals of mine with this blog. I'll probably do something like this from time to time so this blog just isn't pictures and blurbs about food.
It may have been a bit foolish to start a food tourism blog during a pandemic, especially with this latest strain being as rampant as it is, though it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. After having been cooped up for the last couple years and deciding to start the blog, getting out to re-explore Columbus and poking out more into Ohio has been a nice change of pace. It has re-awakened an old yearning I had to go to the places I grew up reading about and immerse myself in the cultures. I frequently daydream of where I can go if I had the means, such as back to Germany during Christmas time (I’ll have an origin story post sometime), a summer spent around the Mediterranean, seeing the Spring cherry blossoms blooming in Japan, etc. etc. Needless to say, there’s been a growing list over the years.
In order to get to that point where I can go abroad and really go all in on experiencing the world, I figured the only way to get my foot in the door was to start documenting what I do naturally and showcase what this region has to offer. Working out how to approach the angle for this blog took some thinking, and to be honest, I started the blog without one in mind. “Just share the places you like to visit and you’ll work it out”, I told myself. There are plenty of restaurants that I frequent but couldn’t place my finger on why else I seeked them out consistently for something other than their food. After meticulously listing off the places, there was very much a Pepe Silvia moment trying to find a commonality between them.
A red string that connected them all is the places I tend to rave about are all the places to eat, drink, and be merry. There's nothing I enjoy more than going out for a meal with friends, to revel in a good meal and drinks in the company of those I care about. I love finding out what my companions are into and pushing them towards trying new things or variants of what they're used to, so that perhaps I can get them as excited to try new things as I am. What I share with them reflects how I want to approach the blog: Come and be my friend, we can find things together for us to enjoy
So going into 2022, this will be really the first year of this endeavor. Part of highlighting the region at large will also give me a chance to explore what Ohio has to offer, as having lived in the state for the past 13 years, I haven’t seen much of the state up until the last several. There keeps being something new or historical that I’m finding out every time I start researching places to visit, such as Cincinnati’s Over The Rhine feeling reminiscent of Europe or a historical brewery in Dayton brewing beer using old methods. Part of what also makes Columbus special is our large population of folks from other countries, lending towards a wonderfully diverse set of choices to try new foods from around the world without leaving the city.
Thank you for coming along so early in this journey, I look forward to the memories we’ll make!