"You have a really strong accent" The first time I ever heard this in my life at freshman orientation and completely shocked me. So what if every "Lawng Islander" talks a little different then everyone else, we are unique people. Going to a school outside of New York or even just Long Island really sends you into culture shock.
Most of the time when you go out of state to school a majority of the people are from that state; everyone knows at least one other person. Then there's you, confused and never heard of 95 percent of the towns everyone says their from the first day of class. The looks you get when it's your turn to say your hometown and everyone expecting it to be some town they've heard of, but then you say Long Island, New York and everyone gets kind of fascinated and confused why you're here. You get pretty sick of hearing "Why did you come HERE?" after the first 10 times.
There's many things that come with the territory of being from Long Island. You expect things to be the same everywhere you go, but that is not the case. You miss many of the wonderful things Long Island has to offer like:
PIZZA
Ah, every Long Islanders favorite word. You can't drive through a town without passing at least 3 pizzerias. You tell people at school how gross their pizza is and how can they eat domino's while fully enjoying it all of the time? It's the water. People look at you like your crazy. "You're saying the water in New York is what makes the pizza better?" YES, shout out to New York water for making this possible.
The beach is never more then a 30/40 minute drive
No matter where you live on Long Island, the beach is always a close drive. The beach is apart of our everyday lifestyle especially during the summer. You probably know at least one person or family with a boat and you see your teachers from High School in a bathing suit. It's the best thing to go to on your days off.
You're only a short train ride to the city
Yes, we do call NYC just "the city" It's just a general thing. It's perfect having easy access to one of the greatest cities in the world even though you live in a suburb. The famous Long Island Railroad (LIRR) where people are passed out and twenty something year olds are all pre-gaming or puking.
The best part about being away from awhile is finally coming home
Yes, being away for a while is fun and exciting, but every time you get to come home and see your friends and family is the best part. Then you go straight to your favorite pizza place in your town.
