On the early evening of Monday, November 5th, 2018, I explored Columbus with my mentee, Kyle! We ventured down into the Short North by taking the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) bus number 2. I decided to take Kyle down to the Short North for our Explore Columbus trip because he had never traveled past Gateway on High Street. I figured it would be a great chance for Kyle to familiarize himself with locations close to campus within reach of a bus. We got off the bus at King Avenue and walked to Condado Tacos, which Kyle had never eaten at before Monday.
Because Kyle had never encountered the full Condado Tacos experience, I let the waiter explain the unique ordering process: basically, you bubble in which toppings you would like just like filling in a multiple choice answer on a quiz in class! Our waiter was very kind, which improved our overall eating experience. We both ordered our special tacos, and I had to introduce Condado’s Dirty Queso dip to Kyle. The Dirty Queso dip with the homemade nacho tortilla chips is my absolute favorite thing to eat at Condado Taco’s, and I was excited that Kyle also enjoyed it after getting a taste! Kyle seemed very grateful for a chance to eat off campus since he is a student on the unlimited meal plan that eats daily at Scott and Kennedy Commons on campus.
During our dinner together, I discovered a lot of interesting details about Kyle’s personality, like his passion for hot sauce and his ease at making others laugh. I think it is really important to meet new people, and getting to know Kyle definitely strengthened our mentor/mentee relationship. He’s an out-of-state student from Virginia, and he is very unfamiliar with the Columbus area, so I am glad I was able to show him around a little bit. This time last year, I was also extremely unaccustomed to the outskirts of Ohio State’s campus, so it was cool to be on the opposite end of the mentor/mentee position. I am thankful for being able to share some of the knowledge I have accumulated in only one year with a college freshman that may have been as curious as I was.
Through this fun adventure to the Short North, I learned that Columbus isn’t as big or as scary as I once pictured. I recently realized that I have mastered the COTA bus (number 2!) schedules and stops in less than a year. I noticed it was exciting getting off campus for just a few hours to hang out and eat great food without worrying about classes and exams, which Kyle addressed highly in agreement! I learned that Kyle is a really funny guy, and he also shows a lot of potential as an ACE scholar.
If other people would hope to endeavor in this same experience of a trip to the Short North for Condado Taco’s, I would recommend taking the number 1 or number 2 COTA bus to cut the trip’s travel time in half. Although it is not a far walk from South campus, I think riding the bus is a simple skill that a mentor can instill in their mentee for when they may need to travel farther. Riding the bus alone for the first time could be intimidating and/or confusing for many freshmen, but riding with someone else, like a mentor, can make this daunting situation lively and easy! Furthermore, I would recommend exploring more into the Short North! The dinner experience at Condado Taco’s was delicious, and I highly recommend everyone to try the Dirty Queso dip with the homemade tortilla chips there (especially because it is my all-time favorite food in the Columbus area)! This is a flexible restaurant that I would recommend to friends because they have many taco options, including vegetarian alternatives!
After a delightful dinner together, Kyle and I decided to walk back from Condado Taco’s to Smith-Steeb Hall together. Along the way, I was able to point out additional locations that Kyle was not aware of so that he may visit them in the near future. Some examples of landmarks I showed him along the way are Kroger, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and the newly built Taco Bell! It will be hard to top a tasty dinner at Condado Taco’s for our Explore Columbus trip in the spring semester; however, our stomachs are definitely up to the challenge! I look forward to exploring Columbus more with Kyle as our year together in ACES continues!