Upon return home to Maine, one of my first destinations is always to Portland. Whether my first week home is completely entangled in things to do and assignments to complete or is entirely free, I always manage to make it to this wholesome city in Maine.

Growing up in Maine, I never was able to fully appreciate the surrounding cities of the area which I grew up in. Although, as I began to grow and discover my underlying love for fast-paced, thriving cities, I started to become somewhat more in touch with this condensed city.

After the drastic travel time from Syracuse University back to Maine, I still find myself the following day, sitting at the various coffee shops which stand in Portland. I do this at any chance I have, which usually turns into a daily, or every-other-day kind of thing.

I understand with my coffee habits this is not a tremendous amount of time, yet my schedule is usually almost entirely full and I still manage to get my coffee fix in my favorite Maine city. It’s a must.

After countless hours spent bustling through tasks and a cup or two of iced macchiatos, the city never fails to pull me in—making for the all-day endeavor. I always find the same thing happening whenever I make it to Manhattan, yet when home in Portland, it’s the nostalgia which manages to guide me through the city with reminiscent characteristics I have always loved.

Making my way down the cobblestone streets in the cramped city environment, I always track into some of the absolute best restaurants which I always miss so much when I’m back at school.

Although I have always been a city enthusiast at heart, the water in Maine always pulls me in, never ceasing to remind me how much of a winter person I am not. Whether shopping or dining, you can usually catch a glimpse of the immense waterfront while in Portland, and I absolutely love that.

As I am currently sitting at a local, extremely busy coffee shop in downtown Portland (what a shock!), I am finally able to relax and take in this environment which I don’t get to see as often as an out-of-state college student.

There is such a drastic pressure I put on myself to perfectly execute each project I am given and involve myself in every extracurricular I am able to while making both myself and others happy. With this ethic I have developed throughout my life, having the ability to come back to this hometown city, to enter these coffee shops and reflect, is when I am able to reassure myself that all of my hard work is extremely worth it.

While in the heart of Portland, I have never been able to fully grasp — yet have always wondered, why at this setting I feel the most content with everything.

After reflection, and time away from this area, I always come back and realize its reassuring qualities. In such a city that I love so much, I notice that although the chaotic stature of the busy city streets, I am still able to find peace and concentration through this developed “happy place.” It never fails to reassure that as long as I am happy in the setting or place in life which I stand, I will be able to achieve absolutely anything —despite everything going on around me.