How We Got Here

Why are you here?

No, I’m not asking the great existential question. 

I’m asking, why are you here in Columbia or any other part of Howard County? What brought you here? Why?

Perhaps you were born here. There is that. As for me:

I moved to Columbia in 1999 and I’m still trying to figure it all out.

In my life I have lived in quite a few places.

• Cleveland Heights, Ohio
• Columbus, Ohio
• Stamford, Connecticut 
• South Hadley, Massachusetts 
• Princeton, New Jersey
• Baltimore (City) Maryland 
• Baltimore County, Maryland
• Columbia/HoCo, Maryland

This is the place where I have taken root, grown, and flourished more than any other community that I’ve called home over the years. This is the place where I’ve met interesting and engaged people who’ve connected me to local places, events, and issues.

Picnics at Lake Elkhorn

Cookie Swaps and Jazz concerts in Oakland Mills

OM Board meetings, CA Board meetings, giving testimony at the George Howard Building 

Fireworks

Letters to the editor

School events

The Second Chance Saloon

Farmer’s markets 

Concerts at the Chrysalis 

Sitting on my back patio when the weather is nice

How did all this happen? How did I go from barely being able to find the grocery store without getting lost to driving to nineteen different county schools for my work? Why am I sitting here before sunrise writing my 3,057th blog post?

This is why:

On November 13th, 1999 I married the love of my life and began my new adventure in a whole new place.  Today we’re celebrating our twenty-second wedding anniversary which may or may not include carry out from Maiwand and discussions on having the front door replaced on our adorable little Oakland Mills quadroplex. All the important things in life: marriage, Maiwand, home repair.

So that’s why I’m here. Why are you here? Everyone has their own story. I’d love to hear yours.