Falling for the West

she says:

I grew up on Long Island, went to college in the capital region of New York and after finishing up my degree I fled to New York City to enjoy urban life for a few years. I am an east coast girl. I love the North Fork of Long Island especially in the summer and fall, dinning at the Lobster Roll, canoeing down the Peconic River, picking up a fresh baked pie at Briermier Farm as I make my way through rolling vineyards and farmlands to my cousins boat for a weekend of liquid indulgences. I love corn field mazes, pumpkin picking and making the annual visit to apple orchards up north and dreaming of all the apple treats I will concoct later that week. I take pride in being from Long Island, (more so, being from Long Island and not being the tanned, Gucci wearing, Prada toting girl that Long Island is famous for.)

I love NYC, running down the west side highway, riding my bike through central park, walking from my apartment on the UES to the Union Square farmers market for some fresh produce and decadent cheese. I LOVE Sunday brunch, chatting with friends at a new wine bar or coffee shop and of course grabbing a bite to eat at any of the copious, quaint eateries that shape the palate of all New York Foodies.

Though I am a New Yorker I love the Red Sox, New England clam chowder and have always been charmed by the cobble stone streets of Boston, the crisp sea salt air of Perkins’ Cove in Maine. I embrace New England and largely the Northeast I’ve always imagined my life there.

However after traveling 3,000 miles to the West coast I find myself needing to make some room in my heart for what I’ve found here:

1. The most striking is (not surprisingly) the weather, after spending 23 years in the humid, barely sufferable summers in New York the dry heat of the west is absolutely superb. If you are hot in the sun, well you move to the shade and there is actually a difference and one can cool down. You don’t sweat just from being outside in August, in fact its hard to sweat even when exerting one self. 
   
   
2. Fruit of the Earth, like the salmon berries of Alaska I am tickled by being able to harvest blackberries all over the west coast. The simple act of picking fruit for free from nature’s bounty make me feel closure to past generations who I’m sure made the most of the free fruit and moreover probably looked forward to the berry season. More than that the berries are DELICIOUS, not only the best blackberries I’ve ever tasted, but the best berries period. 
   
   
   
3. The Produce is mouth-wateringly good; because the west coast has a large amount of agriculture much of the produce in the grocery is fresher, tastes better and is substantially cheaper than the east coast. 
   
4. The store brand versions of any drug store or grocery item is ascetically pleasing. (I know that sounds silly, but it makes a difference I swear, especially since Jeffrey and I are being so cheap and eating a bunch of canned items, it doesn’t feel like as much of a sacrifice when the can is just as pretty as the high priced can ... and often prettier) 
   
   
5. Free camping, Jeff touched on this, but the idea of being able to Car camp in the wilderness for free isn’t only fantastic, but it makes a lot of sense (and seriously make we question the camping situation on the East coast)
   
   
6. No tolls. After growing up on Long Island where no matter what route you take to get off the island you are paying a toll, to living in NYC and commuting to White Plains were tolls were just another expense I needed to factor in each month... traveling out west on well maintained roads sans extraneous fees has again seriously made me question why east coasters have let such ridiculous practices like tolls take root. 
   
   
7. I’ve always considered myself to be athletic, outdoorsy (and dare I admit it, tough.) However between dating Jeffrey and tromping around in the woods out west I find myself continually challenged by the rugged environment (as well as Jeff abilities.) And I find myself constantly question if I am really tough or not, I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that maybe I'm not as tough as I thought.. or maybe I’m east coast tough.  In either case I have to recalibrate and conquer the untamed west! 
   
8. The access to nature just seems easier. I know we are on an outdoors trip so this maybe biased, but it just seems like the culture is much more outdoorsy here and access your outdoor desire doesn’t require driving hours away from your home on toll roads just to ride your bike with out being blasted by the horns of impatient drivers who are unwilling to share the road.
   

So I’m feeling a bit conflicted, do I stay loyal to my roots and my love of the east coast or do I jump ship and feel out this new love and see what adventures it brings. I hope I can continue to do both for awhile.