What a year! As I pack up to head home, I thought the most appropriate blog entry would be one, paying equal time to both of my geographical love affairs.
10 Best Things about Philadelphia
1) The chance to experience a socially divergent strain of people whom I would have never experienced elsewhere...Philadelphians and especially Main Liners are truly one-of-a-kind.
2) Villanova--it has taught me how to stand on my own, using discretion and personal preference in educational decisions.
3) Sara Dudley. This is another person I would have never met otherwise, and she is perhaps one of the best people with whom I've ever come into contact.
4) Tim Dudley. This is a dude who has made his way in academia, and very successfully so, and yet he's one of the most well-rounded and kind men I've met.
5) Borders in Bryn Mawr. This, my friends, is the place for psychological study. If you need a project, I beg you to start here.
6) Springfield. Affectionately referred to as "the Midwest" by Sara and I, this suburb of Philadelphia allowed us the shopping options and layout with which we were much more familiar.
7) Plymouth Meeting. Target...the one place that I needed to have be accessible to me at all times, and the Plymouth Meeting location permitted my naive self the indulgent pleasure of Target shopping whenever the urge hit.
8) Philly Cheesesteaks. While I did go all out and do the regular cheesesteaks for several of my first weeks, mostly at Pizzi's on Lancaster, I have found my one cheesesteak true love in the Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak at Campus Corner.
9) Variety. No matter what it was that we came up with, Philadelphia seemed capable of meeting the challenge. Whether meeting Nicholas Sparks or Dan Aykroyd or just wanting to try a random Cuban meal, Philly proved the means to do so.
10) Thai Pepper. I will miss this so much. It was my weekend companion many weeks, and it's flavor was a true taste sensation.
10 Best Things about Wheeling
1) Sydni Shannon. This little girl is the one thing capable of putting a smile on my face regardless of my mood or the situation.
2) The remainder of my family. Things change a lot with time. I feel fortunate to have, at my age, realized what I want to accomplish within this sphere of my life as well as my professional life.
3) The Italian Festival. Funnel Cakes, several food vendors, and many familiar faces.
4) Wheeling Coffee Shop. Yes, I've experienced several new, and probably better, venues for this...but, there's something about my first coffee shop on Washington Avenue.
5) Ohio County Public Library. A place I love to go and just wander through the stacks.
6) Oglebay Park. Whether it be a meal at Wilson Lodge or some time at Schenk Lake, this is one of my favorite places out of everywhere I've been.
7) Uncertainty. Yes, I think this is a good thing...for me. I occasionally get carried away with planning, and I think that this move will reintroduce variables--something that's good.
8) Perkins. Breakfast is so good, but so are the late-nite Sante Fe Mini Chimis.
9) Nogales. Great little Mexican restaurant that many have underestimated.
10) The Hills. I miss being surrounded by hills at all times.
So, now you know what I like best from both of these locations. I will miss Philly just as I missed Wheeling this past year. And I will never forget that Philly was home for some time. It taught me a lot, and it has prepared me for this next phase. Best case scenario? I will find success and a new meaning behind my origins. Worst case scenario? I will miss school like crazy and return sooner than planned.
As a result of this impending move, I may not be updating frequently until I settle back in. But, this blog is not going to disappear.
1 comment:
Thank you, Courtney. I will miss you so much. You are my Philly partner in crime. But, when you visit, we'll do Philly just like the old days.
We'll still have IM, music, movies, and whatever else we need/want to talk about. Good thing you are so tech saavy...it helps with staying in touch.
You are fantastic. Brave.
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