Central NY Childhood

Blizzards on Halloween? Check. Snowing on Mother's Day? Check. Snow that reached the top of the door? Check. Lake effect. Powder snow. Heavy Snow. Snow snow snow.

As far as the eye could see. Staring at them outside the car window during trips to visit family.

An institution. Ride the rides, run into your friends, see a concert, eat all the food. Get a job while it's open.

I moved away at 5 years old and many years later people still would recognize me whenever I'd come back to visit family. "Oh you're so-and-so's girl"

An abundance of fresh produce and baked goods, locally grown/made and cheap.

Street hockey, late night hide and seek, kickball. Skinned knees and me being a ridiculously terrible athlete. Bike rides all over town - to the local stand for cheap candy, the local ice cream shop, to visit friends, or race.

Battle of the bands, Knights of Columbus shows, a cacophony of crazy sound. Friends who played, friends who didn't play but wanted to, the politics of it all.

Maybe it isn't NYC pizza, but it's still a favorite for me. As are some other staples.

So many hours without any adult around. So many hours to explore the world. So many hours for bad things to happen as well.

Walking down train tracks and shooting the shit with a close friend, hours crushing over some guy/girl with another friend, making pasta (or at least attempting to) with others, getting into water balloon fights, playing card games, dyeing our hair, just being silly and goofy kids. Learning who I am with these friends, and who I am not. Learning relationships ebb and flow, and to value each one of them.