Small Town Girl Wanting the Uptown World

I grew up on Lake Winnipesaukee. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s the largest lake in NH, a place where many people come to visit in the summer time. Wolfeboro is the place where you take your family for a summer vacation, get ice cream from the ice cream boat, and enjoy the 4th of July parade.

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It’s funny, when you’re a teen, you want to get out of that hometown, you’re bored, and you want something new. You ask yourself, why do people like it here?! That was totally me, I couldn't wait to leave and live in the city. You always want what you don’t have and sometimes when you get it, you realize you don’t really want it. I remember when I wanted to live in NYC. It seemed like such a magical place, so different from home. Everything was in reach; you didn’t have to drive to another town to get basic necessities. So when we went on our Senior trip to NYC, I was so excited! It was a great experience, but once we got back, I knew that place wasn’t for me. I was not a fan of such a crammed place, loud noises, and so many cars. Clearly I grew up in a tiny town.

Once I was off to college, there wasn’t any form of water really, just a small lake (especially small when you grow up on the biggest NH Lake). Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, I love my college town. Its so cute and very New England. It was just the very first time that I experienced being landlocked. There wasn’t much else to do in my town (for a teenager anyway) so my friends and I would just always go to the lake. So when I experienced the feeling of being landlocked, it gave me a whole new perspective and appreciation for my love of the water.

I didn’t realize until then, how growing up on the water is almost a luxury, not many people get that experience.

New England is a great place for water lovers, as well, because the ocean is never too far. I remember when I visited Colorado for the first time; I thought it was my new place to be. I did love it. I love the mountains and snowboarding and I’d go back there in a heartbeat, but I didn’t realize how odd it’d feel to be so far from the ocean. It’s a strange feeling and it sounds dramatic, but it really can feel like you're confined.Everyone has his or her own love of the world,Some prefer the mountainsOthers like the oceanSome love the desertSome want the cityAnd others love the RockiesI do love it all but wherever I end up living, I dream of having the best porch swing facing the water.