Four years ago, our family set out on an adventure. It began as an opportunity for me to gain international experience for my work, but we knew from the start it would be something even bigger. And it was.
We spent our first two years based in Zurich, Switzerland, which became our home base for seeing so much of the world. The past two years, we’ve called Princeton, New Jersey, home, giving us the chance to experience New York City, Philadelphia, and everything in between. Before we left, my lifelong mentor Ian Fraser told me how thrilled he was for us. He said that once we had the chance to see the world, we’d finally understand just how special the city we loved − Cincinnati − truly is. Boy, was he right.
Sometimes you have to leave to see home clearly
We saw it first in our children’s education. Our kids enrolled in Zurich’s International Baccalaureate program and tested in the top percentile of their class. Cincinnati Public Schools had prepared them well. We saw it in the arts. We took in operas, symphonies, and theater across Europe. There was Zurich, Prague and Paris, yet we found ourselves missing the Cincinnati Opera and the Cincinnati Children’s Theater the whole time.
We saw it in the zoos. We visited the zoos of Vienna, Tokyo and Philadelphia, and nothing came close to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. We saw it in the museums. We visited the great museums of Cairo, Madrid and New York. Yet we longed for another visit to the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Freedom Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Taft Museum.
We saw it in sports. We watched football in London, Nice and Barcelona, and none of it compared to a night cheering for FC Cincinnati. And we saw it in the people. We met so many kind, interesting people along the way. We’ll carry them in our hearts for the rest of our lives. But we learned something we already suspected: There truly are no better people than the ones we have in Cincinnati.
About seven weeks ago, on an evening walk in Princeton, my daughter Lillian asked me if I ever dreamed about living in Cincinnati again. I told her I absolutely loved the city, that I had so many great memories, and that I thought about it often. I asked her the same question. She said she dreamed about it every night. That’s all I needed to hear − perhaps something that I wish I had been brave enough to say so clearly.
Back where we belong
That conversation set in motion our transition back to the city we had left four years ago, almost to the day. Soon after, we popped into Cincinnati, where our friend Julia Wesselkamper helped us find our dream home by uncovering every stone. That visit told us we were making the right decision.
Our kids couldn’t wait for breakfast at Sugar n’ Spice, where they had their very first meal in this city. They couldn’t wait to run through the fountain at Washington Park, just like they had dozens of times before. We had Skyline − the same Skyline we missed so much we had it shipped to Switzerland − and topped it off with Graeter’s that afternoon. They cooled off at the Clinton Hills swim club with friends they’ve known since diapers. The day ended with the Reds win, and friends texting us photos of our kids on the Dance Cam, living their absolute best life.
So we moved home, with even more appreciation for a city we already loved, and a promise never to take it for granted again. This time, we’re back to stay. Cincinnati, we have missed you so much. We are beyond thrilled to be home in the Queen City and settling back into the North Avondale neighborhood that we loved so much. We’ll be forever grateful for everything we experienced around the globe.
But Dorothy of “The Wizard of Oz” said it best: There’s no place like home.
Ryan Messer lives in North Avondale and is a former Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education member.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: We saw the world. Then we chose Cincinnati | Opinion
Reporting by Ryan Messer, Opinion contributor / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Ryan Messer, Opinion contributor | USA TODAY Network
