Oh Baltimore!

Baltimore and I have always had an interesting relationship. My father grew up in the Lutherville area and my grandparents stayed even after my father and his brothers grew up and graduated. The first memory I have of Baltimore is of a hot afternoon in the early 1990’s when we came up to watch a baseball game at Camden Yards.  I think that is where my love of Baltimore started because how could you *not* like Camden Yards?!

Throughout my childhood, I would visit my Grandma or Grandpa sporadically but never really returned to the city itself. I would drive by Baltimore on my way to and from Ithaca, NY and I would remind myself that I needed to visit again. I was lucky to have a roommate in college who lived about 10 minutes away from my grandma.  That definitely helped push me to visit the area again…attending Preakness wasn’t too bad either…  I never thought that one day, Baltimore would become my home.

Landing a job post-college in Baltimore was a total accident. I was hired at Under Armour in late 2007 and the next thing I know I’m living and working in the Baltimore area. I started in the outskirts of the city (Lutherville and Columbia) to Pigtown to Federal Hill. All along the way I got to explore a city that I’ve always had a connection to, but never got to know.

I knew I was really in for a treat when I was selected to be part of Baltimore’s Buzz Brigade in the beginning of 2011. My knowledge and love of the city expanded even further as I got to explore and share my experiences. This is a very similar response to city life as some of my friends who live in (and love) New York City.  I knew Baltimore was a great place for me.

And it still is…

But my life is pulling me in a different direction. A new coast is calling me for the first time in my life (alright, this time it’s for real) and I couldn’t ignore its siren. I don’t know how this adventure will play out (but I’m sure it will be a blast) but I am thankful to call Baltimore home for the last 3 years. This new adventure is going to be extremely exciting but I do want to look back before I go. I’ve decided just to list some of the things that I’ll miss (and to prove my honorary Baltimorean status):

• Camden Yards (duh)
• Old Bay, crabs, and Natty Boh’s (um how can you not?)
• Running through the Inner Harbor (and by extension the Baltimore Running Festival)
• Checking out the Top of the World floor at the World Trade Center (on my first photowalk no less!)
• Privateer Day and Artscape (nothing more can needs to be said)
• Getting tattoos at the legendary Baltimore Tattoo museum
• Proposing on the water in the Inner Harbor (met my future wife in Baltimore)
• All the crazy, cool stuff I got to do with the Buzz Brigade like this, this, and this
• The exclusive tours the Photowalk Alliance has snagged
• My secret Sushi spot in Fed Hill
• Marcy making the paper
• This blog winning an award
• The great people I have met in this awesome city and all the experiences that I’ve had with them….

“Slow change may pull us apart
 When the light gets into your heart, baby
Don't You Forget About Me
 Don't Don't Don't Don't
 Don't You Forget About Me…”-Simple Minds

I’ll miss all of you guys.