I hear all the time how people want to leave Ohio because they don’t like it here. I’m from a small suburb 15 minutes east of Cleveland and after 20 years of living there, I can firmly say that not only do I love where I live, but I can see myself living there for the rest of my life.

One thing everyone, and I mean everyone including myself, complains about in Ohio is the weather. I understand where this frustration comes from, especially in Northeast Ohio. We have to deal with this huge body of water called Lake Erie, which we blame for all our weather misfortunes on.

“Why is it snowing so much?”

“Why is it so humid?”

“Why is so cold today when it was warm yesterday?”

“Why can’t the Browns win a football game?”

The answer to all of these questions is answered with “Lake Effect.”

While the weather can be difficult to deal with sometimes, I enjoy it. Now I’m not saying that I love stepping outside into sub-zero weather or 90-degree heat with humidity, no one likes that. But when I go outside after a six month long cold and snowy winter and feel a warm breeze and the warmth from the sun, I really appreciate it. It’s like that Kenny Chesney song: “Just like a long lost friend you ain’t seen in a while… can’t help but smile.”

I hear people say that they want to move somewhere warm like Florida or California. To me, if it was warm all year, it’d be like eating your favorite meal every single day. If I ate a steak every night for dinner, I would eventually start to get tired of it and miss all the other foods that are out there. The winter makes me appreciate the summer. Some nights I have ramen or easy mac for dinner, but on those rare occasions I get to chow down on a steak (pun intended), it tastes a lot better than if I ate it every night.

Aside from the weather, Ohio/the Cleveland area has a lot to offer.

1. Location

Everything I need is less than a 20-minute drive from my house. The city is 15 minutes east, shopping and restaurants are south and west not even 10 minutes away, and Metroparks are all around.

2. Sports

Ohio has many professional sports teams that a lot of other states don’t have. We have two baseball teams, two football teams, a basketball team, a hockey team, and a soccer team. Not to mention one of the biggest football cities in the Midwest, Columbus, Ohio, home to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

3. No extreme weather

Aside from bad road conditions in the winter, Ohio is one of the safest weather locations in America. We don’t have to deal with hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, blizzards, or wildfires.

4. Attractions

Ohio is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cedar Point, Kalahari, King’s Island, Put in Bay, Hocking Hills, and Amish Country. According to ranker.com, Ohio has 4 of the best zoos in the United States: Cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus.