If I were to tell someone I grew up just blocks from a working farm, they would certainly never come to the conclusion that I live in the greatest city on Earth, New York. A city known for its cultural diversity; and overwhelmingly associated with bustling streets teeming with people; and buildings so densely packed with offices, microscopic apartments, and shopping for the world's bourgeoisie. But with all this diversity, people tend to forget about the more nature-rich, suburban portions of the city. Don't feel bad if you're one of those people yourself; the MTA forgot about us as well.

Five boroughs, all alike in dignity (except Staten Island, which is a myth), in fair Oakland Gardens, where we lay our scene, is a small neighborhood at the junction of Bayside, Jamaica, and Queens Village. If this doesn't help you get a feel for our setting, just look at any subway map and imagine what it's like in the far away land behind the Key/Service Note in the upper right corner.

It takes me a bus and 2 trains to get to school, for a grand total of about an hour and a half each way, unless, of course, it snows, rains, drizzles, or the wind is too strong. Then I'm looking at closer to two or two and a half hours, a common issue for fellow Queensians--Queeners? Queensites? Queeniacs? So neglected, we don't even get a proper name--so I've had to master my surroundings like an episode of Naked and Afraid.

For example, I take the E train from Kew Gardens/Union Tpke to Lexington Ave/53rd Street, a useless bit of information for anyone not native to New York. But it's important to know that the E train runs express, meaning there are long breaks without ever making a stop. I have memorized every single subway performer that frequents the line from 71 Ave/Forest Hills to Roosevelt Ave, or Roosevelt Ave to Queens Plaza, each and every one of them warranting a collective groan from everyone just trying to get some work done during their two-hour morning commute. I haven't done school work at home all semester, not when I have four solid hours with no cell phone service, another thing that seems to have skipped Queens, and nothing else to occupy my time--with the exception of the tourists trying to navigate their way to Sutphin Blvd for the Air Train to JFK who seem to think they're an awe-inspiring taste of New York., with their double wide, over-stuffed suitcases which they place right in front of them while sitting on the bench, taking up 3 spots, 2 of which could be mine, when they could just as easily sit on their suitcase out of my way, especially since they get up every 10 seconds to check the subway map.

With so many people trekking from the forbidden city to the actual city, it can be hard to get a seat, especially when the commute is so long that leaving the house before rush hour does not mean you will miss rush hour. So I have memorized the demographic of every neighborhood the train goes through. If I get on the train at Lexington, I have a ways to go before I get to my stop, not to mention the 45-minute bus ride home that I also might have to stand on, so I'll stand in front of whoever is likely to get off the train first. I've studied all the transfers, schools in the area, and neighborhoods to maximize my chances of standing in front of the person who is going to get off the train first. I haven't stood the whole ride in months.

All in all, the extensive commute has really allowed me to mature as a person (and not just because I've probably spent about a year of my life on the train and bus). I've found new places, met new people, and memorized every message from the New York City Police Department and train conductor. You can never really learn about an area until you've commuted through it for a while, so take some time--maybe not four hours like me--and just let yourself travel through what's around you and see what you find!