First thing’s first: This month marks the one-year anniversary of She’s in Love with the World! It’s been a long and interesting year (some months saw more blog posts than others), filled with lots of change, travel and new friends. Without this blog, I wouldn’t have made half the friends I did while traveling, nor had half as much fun documenting it. Thanks to all my friends, family and followers for keeping tabs on my latest romances with the world!

Fun fact: Underneath that “hard” New York exterior flows some Midwestern blood.

The Lipman half of my family hails from the great state of Ohio, home to Drew Carey, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Pete Rose, Steven Spielberg and Dean Martin. Thus, since I was just six months old, my family has made many-a-pilgrimage to Cincinnati, Ohio.

To keep the family history aspect of this post short, I’ll save you the gritty details of 13-hour drives in a minivan through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia with just two stops for food and bathroom breaks throughout my childhood. Those were always fun. But this year was different. For the first time I can remember, we flew!

My visits became less frequent once I was in college, then working as a reporter and, ultimately, traipsing the globe. But I had always loved going. We’d get to see cousins, be spoiled by our fantastic Great Aunt Lois and visit my Grandma (lovingly referred to originally as Meemaw, shortened to Mims and, now my friends know her as “Miss Ohio”). There were amusements parks, malls and food. Ah, the food. I used to love the food.

Keyword: USED to.

This time, driving down the endless highways in Cincinnati, all I noticed were signs for fast food and chain restuarants. McDonalds, Burger King, White Castle, Chipotle, you name it, they had it. Of course, there were the ones I enjoyed growing up: Skyline Chili, Graeter’s ice cream, Frisch’s Big Boy and others. This time around though, they just all tasted (save for the ice cream)…greasy.

As long-time readers know, my most favorite thing about going new places — not just abroad, but even just on day trips to Delaware, New York, California, the neighborhood next to yours, etc. — is the FOOD. I’m obsessed with food and how people eat. I love a homegrown restaurant with local veggies and specials unique to the culture and flavor. Cincinnati, I sadly noticed for the first time, was sorely lacking in any sort of unique food culture beyond its famous ice cream, Graeter’s.

I still believe food has a magical power in bringing people together. Thanksgiving Day — our one home-cooked, not deep-fried meal — had a table set for 20+ people, all whom I had not seen in a long time. However, if mom and pop diners and restaurants get lost in the conglomerate shuffle, could we all soon be just driving through windows and eating greasy badness?

I’ll take a street cart falafel or taco truck taco over a Big Mac any day…