Cincinnati or bust!

This trip right here was much needed. After a freakishly cold winter, my family and fiancé being 700+ miles away, getting ready to start a new job, and 4 exams - I needed some air. 

It has been an insane year so far, and I've been feeling every kind of emotion. 

Joy, loneliness, disbelief, gratefulness, stress, blah. 

So off we went to Ohio for the weekend, to party with Marina's super-awesome-Russian family! The Yasnogorodsky's are so great, and I was so excited to spend a couple of days out of Nashville and with a family.

Here are us crazies. Marina, Hanna, and Patrick & I. 

 4 1/2 hours later we made this curve into the Ohio River Valley, with Cincinnati just up ahead - so pretty!!!

 Crossing the Ohio River and the Kentucky-Ohio state line.

 Our Saturday started out with shopping in Mason, OH, followed by lunch in Newport, KY - Here is a view back into Cincinnati from Newport.

 Our little Johanna was right at home in the German restaurant - look how excited she is!

 Microbrewery

 The Rippy's

 The accordion player! He played the chicken dance and we stood up in our chairs to dance

 Cincinnati 

 The Purple People Bridge

 The Russian Restaurant!!! There was food (oh, so much food), there was dancing (oh, the dancing), there was vodka (4 of us drank one bottle, thanks to Marina's dad being such a gracious host). It was such an awesome experience!

 Here's the drive back! There is the Corvette factory, where they had a sink hole just a couple of weeks before.

 Hanna was weary about going to a Rest Stop (because of some horror movie she saw) - but they were really nice and she picked up all sorts of maps and brochures. Patrick drove back and she routed us! Marina and I were the kids in the back eating Cashews (and someone had a slight hangover.)

Such a good time. Back to the grind!