Things I Love About Rochester
There are many things I love about the city I call home. And to be honest, I don't think I would feel so strongly about it if I hadn't moved away and lived somewhere else for a while. Here are some of my (and Sean's!) favorite local treasures :]
1. The Weather
Yes, this makes me sound crazy, because Rochester weather is incredibly unpredictable (and often, well, yucky). But we have real seasons, not "seasons" that are differentiated by 15 degrees (sorry, NC). We have hot, humid summers, rainy, mild springs, and chilly, crisp autumns.
Something else about the weather that I love (however begrudgingly) is how often the locals complain about the weather. Every single summer is too humid and each winter is too cold. These people can choose to live somewhere else but stay here and then complain about it. And that's part of its charm.
2. Tim Horton's
Tim Horton's is a "local" (Canadian) chain named after a famous Hockey player. It is similar to Dunkin Donuts except much, much better. When Sean & I were in college, we spent many late nights eating some combination of hot chocolate, chili, bagels and donut holes from Tim Horton's (as it's opened 24 hours). When I moved to Rhode Island, I was so happy that they, too, had Tim Horton's... but I quickly learned that they were somehow not the same. The food wasn't as fresh. The coffee wasn't as flavorful. And the people weren't as friendly. (Maybe this was my imagination, but it was noticeable to me, nonetheless...)
For every 1 Tim Horton's, there were 15 Dunkin Donuts (Rhode Islanders are obsessed with Dunkin), and by the time I moved, Tim Horton's had all but vanished from the state. So when I moved back to Rochester, I was thrilled that Tim Horton's was as delicious as I remembered, and had paired up with Coldstone Creamery (I'm still trying to figure that one out).
3. The Finger Lakes Wine Trails
Alright, so this isn't actually Rochester, but it's close - especially to my hometown. There isn't much that I can say except this: there are a TON of wineries (and as we all know, wine is one of my favorite things) located near 11 Finger Lakes (named as such because the lakes literally look like fingers).
When this happened, I had NO IDEA that we'd actually be moving back in the foreseeable future. I expected us to be living there a great while longer and I felt almost suffocated by that thought. As much as I loved the area (and I did - there was much about Rhode Island to love), there was nothing that could fill the void of being away from family and friends.
When the prospect of moving became a reality, I had another slight panic when I thought, "What if I've been miserable for some other reason that moving back won't actually fix?" Specifically, I was worried that the "void" I was feeling would not go away after the move. But this concern was a ridiculous one because I have felt nothing but happiness and calm since moving back.
1. The Weather
Yes, this makes me sound crazy, because Rochester weather is incredibly unpredictable (and often, well, yucky). But we have real seasons, not "seasons" that are differentiated by 15 degrees (sorry, NC). We have hot, humid summers, rainy, mild springs, and chilly, crisp autumns.
Something else about the weather that I love (however begrudgingly) is how often the locals complain about the weather. Every single summer is too humid and each winter is too cold. These people can choose to live somewhere else but stay here and then complain about it. And that's part of its charm.
2. Tim Horton's
Tim Horton's is a "local" (Canadian) chain named after a famous Hockey player. It is similar to Dunkin Donuts except much, much better. When Sean & I were in college, we spent many late nights eating some combination of hot chocolate, chili, bagels and donut holes from Tim Horton's (as it's opened 24 hours). When I moved to Rhode Island, I was so happy that they, too, had Tim Horton's... but I quickly learned that they were somehow not the same. The food wasn't as fresh. The coffee wasn't as flavorful. And the people weren't as friendly. (Maybe this was my imagination, but it was noticeable to me, nonetheless...)
For every 1 Tim Horton's, there were 15 Dunkin Donuts (Rhode Islanders are obsessed with Dunkin), and by the time I moved, Tim Horton's had all but vanished from the state. So when I moved back to Rochester, I was thrilled that Tim Horton's was as delicious as I remembered, and had paired up with Coldstone Creamery (I'm still trying to figure that one out).
3. The Finger Lakes Wine Trails
Alright, so this isn't actually Rochester, but it's close - especially to my hometown. There isn't much that I can say except this: there are a TON of wineries (and as we all know, wine is one of my favorite things) located near 11 Finger Lakes (named as such because the lakes literally look like fingers).
The lakes closest to me are Canandaigua Lake, Seneca Lake, and Cayuga Lake, all of which are gorgeous (in the spring, summer, and fall.... even the winter can be breathtaking). The drive from my hometown to Sean's is right along Seneca Lake and I have many memories of driving that beautiful drive to see him and feeling incredibly blessed to have such a gorgeous view!
4. History
There is a lot of awesome history that took place here (or in this area) - namely, the Women's Rights Hall of Fame is in a nearby town, as is Harriet Tubman's house, Frederick Douglass' house, and Susan B. Anthony's house. The Underground Railroad went through Rochester and many old houses still have hidden passages and secret hideaways. It is fascinating to me that so many amazing events occurred right in my backyard!
5. Being close to my family
I remember one Sunday afternoon in Rhode Island, Sean & I were taking a walk through our neighborhood and talking about what we were going to do that day. As we walked, we saw numerous cars parked outside of numerous houses because families were visiting each other for the day (this wasn't uncommon in Rhode Island and especially in the town that we lived in). And I started to cry. Sean couldn't really comfort me, because I told him that I felt so lonely and wished that we have the people we loved nearby. (By this point, all of our closest friends had moved out of the area, so we were feeling pretty isolated.)
When this happened, I had NO IDEA that we'd actually be moving back in the foreseeable future. I expected us to be living there a great while longer and I felt almost suffocated by that thought. As much as I loved the area (and I did - there was much about Rhode Island to love), there was nothing that could fill the void of being away from family and friends.
When the prospect of moving became a reality, I had another slight panic when I thought, "What if I've been miserable for some other reason that moving back won't actually fix?" Specifically, I was worried that the "void" I was feeling would not go away after the move. But this concern was a ridiculous one because I have felt nothing but happiness and calm since moving back.
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