I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely ecstatic to leave Long Island for college this past August. But whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder, was totally right. It took leaving the only place I knew for 18 years, to really appreciate how amazingLong Island really is. There is nowhere in the world like Long Island. Sure, we have a whole lot of traffic and some pretty heinous accents, but we also have gorgeous beaches, quaint little towns, and phenomenal places to eat. Oh, and we’re super close to New York City, one of the most prevalent destinations in the world. I am totally exhausted from constantly arguing about why Long Island is such an amazing place to live, so I am just going to list 10 things that explain why it’s so obviously superior to basically everywhere:

1.The Pizza

Long Islanders are the biggest pizza snobs, like ever. The pizza here is incredible, I guess there is just something special with the water. A cold slice from Little Vincent's will make you think that the Domino's you ordered last night was actual trash. We are beyond spoiled with about 15 different, and not to mention bomb, pizza places within a one-mile radius, no matter where you go.

2. There Are Beaches Everywhere

LI has some of the best beaches in the world, hands down. From Long Beach to the Hamptons, there are so many beautiful beaches to escape to all summer, all of which are only about 5-45 minutes from your house. Think about it: Some people have never even seen the ocean in their entire life, yet we go constantly from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

3. We Have Billy Joel

Its not a Long Island party until someone starts belting Piano Man. Billy Joel is legendary, and despite the millions he has made making music, he still calls Oyster Bay his home. He could financially live wherever the hell he wants to, but absolutely adores LI. Who cares that Jersey has Springsteen? He's got nothing on Bill.

4. The Picturesque, Quaint Little Towns

Northport, Port Jeff, and Stony Brook are just a few of the most beautiful, historic towns on Long Island. You can spend an entire summer just day-tripping to our gorgeous little towns that are filled with amazing places to eat and out of this world water views.

5. NYC Is Only a Ride on the LIRR Away

We have the easiest access to the City out of anyone in the Tri-State area. Just hop on one of the constantly running trains into Penn Station, and you can be in the Big Apple in no time. People all around the world would kill to just get a chance to see Manhattan, yet we can get there almost any time of any day, without hassle.

6. We Have Some of the Best Shopping

Sure, its no 5th Ave., but we still have the Roosevelt Field Mall, Americana Manhasset, and tons of cute boutiques. I go to school in PA, and there's not a single Macy's, Bloomingdale's, or Saks within a two-hour radius. We don't even know how spoiled we are with so many malls and shopping centers so close to home.

7. Bagels

Do I even need to explain? They are doughy, absolutely huge, and totally addicting. Anyone whose never experienced an LI bagel is just not living. And as they say, once you have one, you can never go back to that trash you pick up at Wawa.

8. We Have So Many Sports Teams

So what if the Islanders left us? We still have the Mets (yes, Queens is on LI), the Lizards, and so many semi-pro teams like the Ducks. Not to mention the awesome DI sports programs like Hofstra and Stony Brook. So basically, you can always find some kind of game to go to on a whim on LI.

9. Its Our Home

No matter what, we will always be biased because Long Island is where we grew up. We find comfort in Sunday morning bacon, egg, and cheeses at the beach, and knowing that if you try to brave the LIE at 5 p.m., you're going to crawl for miles. And no matter where life takes you, Long Island will always hold a special place in your heart.