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my NY

My NY: New York City is only one slice of the pizza pie

September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 | Chelsea

If there’s one conversation that is surprisingly similar whether I’m in the United States, or the Philippines, it’s about where I’m from.

[In the United States]

Stranger: Where are you from?

Me: I’m from New York

Stranger: The city?

Me: No, I’m from upstate

Stranger: Oh like Syracuse?

Me: Umm, not quite that far upstate…

[In the Philippines]

Friendly Ate: Taga-saan ka? (Where are you from?)

Me: Taga New York ako. (I’m from New York)

Friendly Ate: aaaaahhyyeee New York City?! The Big Apple?!

Me: haha, uhhh actually dai sa New York City. Malaking an New York. (Not the city, New York is big)

Friendly Ate: ah okay, pirang an oras sa city? (how many hours to the city?)

Me: siguro cero o duwang oras. (one or two hours)

[Friendly Ate still thinks I’m from the city because an hour jeep ride doesn’t get you very far in the Philippines]

To be fair, the United States is huge.  Even Americans find it difficult not to generalize when it comes to understanding where someone is from.  For New Yorkers who aren’t from the city though, this can be a bit of a sore spot.

New York

So, here are some pictures to help paint a clearer picture of where I’m from.

The countryside
The countryside
Small Town USA
Small Town USA
Small Town USA
Small Town USA
My favorite apple Orchard
My favorite apple Orchard
St Mary's Catholic Church
St Mary’s Catholic Church

 Where I’m from can be referred to as ‘Small Town USA’.  There are no skyscrapers, no subways, no busy sidewalks and certainly no yellow taxi cabs.  I live among farms, orchards, and forests on the outskirts of a few small towns.  These towns have certain features that you may not find in the city, but are nonetheless, iconic to New York.

Fresh produce at Roe's Orchards
Fresh produce at Roe’s Orchards
PIZZA!!!
PIZZA!!!
Apples Apples Everywhere!
Apples Apples Everywhere!
Betty's Country Kitchen, a local diner
Betty’s Country Kitchen, a local diner
Smiling faces at Betty's Country Kitchen!
Smiling faces at Betty’s Country Kitchen!

A few of these features include Apple Orchards, Pizzerias, and Diners; and in preparation for my visit home these were all on my ‘to do’ list.

  1. Visiting my favorite apple orchard for it’s crunchy sweet corn, the crisp juicy apples, and the ripe delicious blueberries.  Luckily, I came home in the correct season when the orchard was open!  In New York we can’t harvest these fruits and vegetables all year around because we have such drastic seasons.  Most fruits and vegetables are ready for harvest at some point during the summer, or the beginning of fall.
  2. Eat as much New York Pizza as I possibly could.  Each small town I’m surrounded by has at least one pizzeria (if not 2 or 3).  Truthfully, I had forgotten just how good New York Pizza was!
  3. Eating at a diner.  Diners are unique to the Northeast, and Midwest USA.  They have a wide selection of food, and you can eat whatever you want at any time of day.  In the mood for pasta at 6am?  You’ve got it.  Feeling like pancakes at 9pm? Still on the menu!  ALSO, most diners are open 24/7 making it a perfect late night road trip stop.  The diner featured above has a warm and welcoming feel to it, and has become the heart of my hometown.

And of course, what’s home without family!

My Grandpa makes the best steak!
My Grandpa makes the best steak!
Me and my sister Tiffany at our cousin's wedding
Me and my sister Tiffany at our cousin’s wedding
My best friend, I avoca-don't know what I would do without her.
My best friend, I avoca-don’t know what I would do without her.
My dog Maisy is not too happy about me leaving again
My dog Maisy is not too happy about me leaving again
My baby sister Quinn at her brand new college
My baby sister Quinn at her brand new college

Besides getting to visit my favorite state, I also got to see a bunch of my favorite people (and canines!).  Not all of them were in New York but a bit of travel was well worth seeing their smiling faces after over a year of living in the Philippines.

My beautiful cousins
My beautiful cousins
We've been friends for almost 20 years, a trip to NY wouldn't be complete without seeing Gabi.
We’ve been friends for almost 20 years, a trip to NY wouldn’t be complete without seeing Gabi.
A quick stop to Florida to visit family and friends!
A quick stop to Florida to visit family and friends!
Penny the new addition to the Fowler Family. She's an odd pup
Penny the new addition to the Fowler Family. She’s an odd pup
My last New York feast for another year, with my favorite faces around the table!
My last New York feast for another year, with my favorite faces around the table!

After an unforgettable two weeks home, 77 hours of travel, countless hugs and laughs, enough pizza, cheese, and bagels to get me through another year, and about 40 kilos of pasalubong, I’m back in the Philippines once again!

img_1862

Trading the brisk breeze of my New York, for the humid habagat of my Philippines.

 

 

 

 

 

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