"The Greatest City in America"

My past three years in Mt. Vernon have been filled with good music, good friends, and good food. That's all I need, really.

I got a Master's degree. I got a dog. I got a job (kind of). Things are happy.

Enter John Young Shik Concklin, who happens to be starting a degree in Cleveland in the fall. Throw in a potential PhD in musicology, a string of serendipitous emails from Oberlin and Case Western, and a smoldering Mid-Atlantic heat wave, and suddenly I'm on my way to Ohio, too.

It doesn't hurt one bit that I'll be saving about $600 a month in living costs.

Friends have been the perfect mix of sad and supportive. Their best piece of advice? To watch the 30 Rock episode about Cleveland immediately. Along with a cheerful montage of the city, I was awarded yet another fitting mantra from Jack Donaghy: "For God's sakes Lemon!, we'd all like to flee to The Cleve."

So, following enthusiastically in the footsteps of Liz and Floyd, John and I are on our way. We'll stop at the same hot dog stand, we'll find a nice apartment, and yes - we'll keep you posted.