Three years ago, I decided to attend college in the arctic tundra that is Central New York. Originally from Long Island, I thought this wouldn't be so bad because I wasn't too far from home and I was still in New York, so how different could it be? Boy oh boy, was I wrong. I learned very quickly that CNY is nothing like Long Island. These are just a few of the differences:

1. Everyone walks SO SLOW.

People from Long Island and New York city, walk MUCH faster than those from anywhere upstate, but particularly CNY. I'm often told to slow down when I'm walking at a slower pace.

2. The pizza isn't real.

Plain and simple, nothing beats Long Island pizza. CNY doesn't even offer the amount of creative toppings that LI pizzerias do.

3. Neither are the bagels.

The bagels are just flat out not good. I don't care what anyone says. I refuse to eat CNY bagels.

4. Why is every radio station playing country?

Long Island just doesn't play much country music, and you can definitely get through almost every single FM radio station without hearing a single country song. CNY is a totally different story...it's all everyone listens to.

5. So many pick-up trucks.

Long Island has pick-up trucks, but in CNY, they're a dime a dozen, and people worship them, too.

6. It takes more than five minutes to get to civilization.

On the island, I can drive five minutes and get to the mall, 12 restaurants, four supermarkets, and six gas stations. CNY is the total opposite.

7. SO. MUCH. OPEN. SPACE.

In CNY, you're pretty much surrounded by farmland. Even when you're driving through Syracuse (a city), you'll still find country back roads.

8. Which is another thing LI doesn't have: back roads.

Long Island doesn't have back roads, and if we do, they are not the same as the ones in CNY. CNY back roads are one-laners that terrify the crap out of you because they have no street lights and seem like they take you through the middle of nowhere.

8. When you say "the city," people think you're talking about Syracuse.

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.

9. Why is there no rush hour traffic?

It seems like rush hour doesn't exist in CNY, yet Long Island has never ending traffic that can last for hours on end on a regular weekday, even when it's not rush hour.

10. It's 60 degrees, why does it feel like 40?

60 degrees on the island is not the same as 60 degrees in CNY. On LI, you can walk outside in shorts and a t-shirt and feel warm; in CNY, you're still freezing.