As soon as you leave your hometown to go to college, it is apparent that there are more interesting and challenging things for all of us out there. However, at the end of the day, there are always going to be things that we miss about our hometown that make coming home for the holidays familiar and assuring. Growing up in a small town called Cornwall in New York, here are some of the things that make going home more enjoyable.

1. Baker's Dozen

Every trip back home would be incomplete without a trip to Baker's. If you're like me and you go to school out-of-state, no other state compares to New York for bagels. There’s nothing better than sitting at a table at Baker’s Dozen Bagels at 11 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday morning, shoving a bacon, egg and cheese or a bagel down your throat, and catching up with your friends. Also, since everyone goes there, you are always likely to run into someone that you haven't seen since you left for college.

2. The River

Cornwall is right on the Hudson River, about 45 miles north of New York City. In high school, the river is where everyone went for prom pictures, to watch the sunrise after all night grad or just to hang out with friends when we were bored and restless. The first trip back from college is when you really realize how pretty it is and how much you took it for granted.

3. Taco Stand

For most of us, we've only seen these guys after 1 a.m. Taco Stand is not only famous for their delicious tacos, but their crazy hours that attract people from all over the county. It’s hard being away from college and not being able to get in your car at 1 a.m. to drive to get some delicious Mexican food out of a truck in the middle of Newburgh.

4. Ken Cashmen

Everyone knows our sweet Cornwall Local reporter, Ken. The Cornwall Local is our once a week local paper that reports on all things Cornwall. For athletes, he was our No. 1 fan. He was always there to catch our biggest wins and support us through our losses. It's bittersweet once you return from college and see him covering high school sports that don’t include you and your friends anymore. Nonetheless, it’s nice to know that he is still around supporting our athletic teams and reporting on all the news.

5. Village Ball Drop

One of Cornwall's biggest holidays next to Fourth of July is New Year’s Eve. Many people in our town, and some from the surrounding towns, gather in the streets of the village to see our volunteer firefighters, police officers, town representatives and many other important people welcome in the New Year. They help drop a lighted ball similar to the one that drops in Times Square in New York City. New Year's is a time when everyone is home. You get to see some people that you haven’t seen in months. It’s just one of those things that brings our small community together.

6. High Point

Not many people can say that their hometown has this view. This is High Point. It’s a prime spot on the Hudson River that offers the most incredible view. There is nothing better than driving with all your friends in a packed car to see the sunset at High Point.

7. Not the commons

For every high school and college student, Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets is a nightmare, especially during the holidays because it attracts shoppers from all over the Northeast. For many of us who have gone broke in college, we have no other choice but to work in the Commons when break comes around. While most of the stories told by students are absolutely absurd, like people coming in and buying over $200 worth of Tommy Hilfiger sweaters and paying in cash, the majority of them are true. It is definitely not somewhere you want to visit when you're home unless you need to make money.

8. Bear Mountain for ice skating

I've been ice skating at Bear Mountain since I could walk. Bear Mountain being so close makes it super convenient to go ice skating in the winter. It's also nice to go into the lodge and sit by the fire and drink hot cocoa.

9. Trestle

Once I came to Fairfield, I realized that the word trestle isn’t something that most people know. For me growing up in Cornwall, everyone knew what a trestle was. The trestle in Cornwall is a beautiful railroad bridge over a large field that winds back into the hills. Many famous photos were shot here and George Clooney once came to town to film a movie at the trestle. Whether you are hiking up to the top of the trestle, passing it on your way to the high school or just sitting on the side of the road watching the sunset, it never gets old.

10. Leos, Prima and Village Pizza

Pizza is another thing that is incomparable out of state. Luckily for Cornwall residents, we have three great pizzerias to choose from that you can't avoid on your trip home from college.