In the heart of the Upper East Side, above all the noise of the horns beeping from the taxis and the chaos that is Midtown, you can find Hunter College. Going to college in Manhattan is unlike any college experience. This past week, I visited one of my best friends at her school SUNY Potsdam. This was the first time I was going to visit any of my friends away at school and is always my friend that lives the furthest. I embarked on the 8 hour journey excited to see what the adventures that week held. The furthest upstate I’ve been was an hour and a half outside of Manhattan. She warned me that going through the mountains there wouldn’t be much places to stop, but I didn’t believe her. I was shocked to find that she wasn’t kidding. I would drive for at least 20 minutes before going through a little town. Driving through Adirondack Park was a beautiful experience. The light layer of snow and the quiet bliss was comforting and one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen.

The mountains were quiet until I got into the small town of Potsdam. My best friend came down to get me to bring her up to her apartment. She was trying to compare certain streets to streets that I would know. She referred to their main street as the “Broadway of Potsdam.” Later in the day we went to go get dinner and she gave me the car tour of the town. Within 5 minutes she said “And that’s Potsdam.” I couldn’t believe how quickly I saw all Potsdam had to offer.

The next night we went to a karaoke night and a bar. Filled with college students and locals. Immediately walking into the bar, my friend knew everyone. She introduced me to all her friends and cheered extra loud when her friends went up to sing. After that night, I realized I was kind of jealous. I always wondered what a ‘traditional’ college experience would be like. As much as I love the city, I feel like I also missed out on a lot.

Hunter is mostly a commuter school so it can be hard to make friends. In order to make friends, you really have to try and join clubs and put yourself out there, which can be hard for some people. When you go out to the bars in the city, the chances of you running into someone is slim to none but the chances of running into someone upstate is high. I had listened to years about my friends going to the same three bars but in Manhattan, I haven't gone to any bar more than twice. Even though for that short weekend I felt like I missed out, going back to the city opened my eyes to how lucky I really am.

Not a lot of people can say that during their early 20s they lived in one of the greatest cities in the world. Even though it was a nice feeling that everyone in the bar I had a mutual friend with, I love not knowing who I’m going to meet that night or where I’m going. Living in Manhattan is one big adventure and I’m sure living upstate has its perks, but I can never see myself living or going to school anywhere else. While upstate is beautiful, nothing can ever compare to Manhattan.