If heaven was defined by gourmet grilled cheese, people dancing in the street and laughter – I think I found it in Cincinnati today. I am here on a business trip (working with one of the best children’s hospitals in the country – which has made me LOVE this place for the lives they save and families they help). Although I grew up only 60 miles north of this city, I never knew this gem existed. Great food culture, an appreciation for the arts, a love of baseball and a community of people that make you feel at home. So a few interesting things I have learned about Cincinnati: it is a city of neighborhoods nestled in rolling hills/bluffs surrounding the Ohio river, it is a generational city (pride for family and a sense of mid-western roots), the design community thrives (thanks to the folks at P&G and some other big company players). These components make for inspiring adventures around every turn. I have decided that this will be a weekend roadtrip for Doug and I. One of the places I can’t wait to explore: the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art. This incredible museum was designed by Zaha Hadid, an Iraq woman architect with a progressive eye for design (they also have Macy Free Mondays from 5-9pm) – perfect for a long weekend on a budget!

For this trip, we discovered Tom and Chee (thanks to Yelp) – a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich shop. The ham and smoked gouda was memorable! After our day of meetings, we parked at Fountain Square and made our way to Nada on Walnut Street. We sat on the patio, talked about our favorite novels, laughed together and enjoyed some of the finest mexican/spanish inspired food I have ever tasted. I envied the margaritas but after October, I will be back to give them a try. We ended the meal with an open air concert in Fountain Square complete with spontaneous salsa dancing. It was a great day. One that makes me love my job, the people I work with and the cities we get to explore along the way.