1. You never know how to get where you're going, you just end up places
Despite all the effort googling your destination and setting up the maps app on your phone, you will never be able to visualize how you got from where you where to where you are in terms of anything but flashbacks of roads or sidewalks. Just like in our favorite TV shows where characters set out to school or their local pizza joint, every journey is filled with hills and turns at hidden streets with no sign for a unknown number of miles until you arrive at the corner of Old Joe's Liquor and the fancy tux shop with no lights. Unlike the state I grew up, Oklahoma, where roads are relatively straight and take you where you want to go, the northeast forces you to find roads that take you near another road that heads in the direction you want for about 7 miles then you have to exit onto another road because the one you're on is about to start heading in the direction perpendicular to where you need to go, this happens at least every five minutes. Luckily, you can normal walk to a lot of places you want to go which reduces the amount of burning in hell you do, I mean driving. However, if you're not from the area and you have to use google maps yet again to plan your trip 5 blocks over to some restaurant you've heard so much about then may god have mercy on your soul. Not only do the tall buildings, hill covered tree, and thick clouds drive the GPS in your phone insane, but the shear concentration of people and businesses in this area make the chances of you actually ended up where you need to be and actually identifying the building the restaurant is in and actually managing to find your way into the restaurant very very very slim. Those low chances and your hungry belly add up to you finding a place near you that's easy to find to eat, and you eat there every time you eat out, with everyone you know, for every occasion. Hey, don't feel bad everyone in our favorite sitcoms has their own Luke's just pretend you're a Gilmore Girl and try to order something new every now and then.
2. Everything is picturesque
You finally climb out of bed and while your making coffee you open the window to check out that thing called the outside. BAM! Everything is being showered in a thousand rays of silky gold sunshine and each tree is resounding a happy good morning with their shiny leaves rustling in the light morning breeze. In front of the window with your stupidest pjs and your crazy hair you stand dumbstruck as you bask in the glory of nature, and even though you look like you're homeless and high the people on the street only see the silhouette of someone enjoying the world around them. All of that is just movie quality stuff. I mean, seriously how can that happen literally every morning? Of course, one could argue this is only the case because my window faces the tree covered hill west of the campus instead of the actual campus, but if it faced the campus it'd be even more photogenic each morning! Every morning the sun rises and the light gently nudges the campus awake as it rolls off every building's roof. I mean, come on!
3) Strangers don't talk to you, unless they do
People here have things to do and places to go. Luckily for me, that translates to They really don't have time to initiate polite small talk as you wait in line or hold a door open for someone. Most people here treat you like they're extras on your fancy production set of a life. It is simply fantastic. Not only does this mean you don't have to talk to people, it also means you're not expected to TRY and talk to people! You're just an extra on their set too! With that being said, the people who do randomly talk to you mean so much more since no one does it! The little old lady you held the door open for told you all about her granddaughter she hasn't seen in years and how it just warms her heart to see people like her in the world. A situation which I normally dislike, a complete stranger randomly sharing personal information with me which happens a lot to me, has become a sweet moment that warmed YOUR heart and makes you smile even a few days later. Sitcom gold, I tell you.
