This weekend, I visited Brian in Cleveland, Ohio. He is working at the Richmond Medical Center this month at a psychiatry rotation, which gave me the opportunity to spend time with him and to explore a new northern, Canada bordering state. It was a long six hour drive, most of which was spent driving through Pennsylvania, speeding past farmlands and Amish country. When I arrived, Brian and I planned our weekend adventures.

tumblr_inline_n4gb9nomb91sev6a6

We started by taking a trip to the “Lakefront Lodge” which we discovered nestled in a quiet, residential area in Willowick. Shining beyond the aged wooden benches and a single canopy swing set was the majestic Lake Erie. As we stood there, I experienced a unique feeling; a sudden sense of smallness as I placed my feet against the overgrown, grassy area leading down into an endless sea of cloudy blue. As I imagined Canada lingering in the distance, I realized that this gem encumbered only a minute fraction of the earth’s terrain. Suddenly, I was but a small part of the world.

IMG_4579

An adorable white birdhouse was raised above the water, possibly home to the ring-billed and herring gulls. A visible sign warned against the feeding of Canada Geese.
 
On our last day, we stopped by the East 55th Street Marina. A white yacht circled the Cleveland East Entrance lighthouse, a solitary structure at the end of a long breakwater forming the Cleveland harbor. The skyscrapers of Downtown Cleveland rose in the distance, providing a sharp contrast between city and nature. We walked around the pier enjoying the warm Sunday, and even stopped for a photo opportunity.

tumblr_inline_n4gb3lJs651sev6a6 IMG_4615 IMG_4617 IMG_4632

We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring Downtown Cleveland. We admired the battle scenes depicted in bronze at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on Public Square. Standing in the middle of Memorial Plaza was the War Memorial, or the Fountain of Eternal Life, representing man’s rise from the flames of war to eternal peace.

IMG_4637

And here I am mimicking the statue.

 

We were even able to capture a panoramic view of Memorial Plaza.

IMG_4635

Overall, the trip was wonderful. The six hour return drive was especially difficult, as I moved closer to the daily grind and a busy Tuesday workday. However, as I sped past farmlands and Amish country back to New Jersey, I smiled as I reminisced about the new memories created this weekend with my special someone …
 
And that made the drive all the more bearable.

IMG_4596