Ever since I can remember I have been coming to Westerly, Rhode Island to spend my summers. Similarly, my mother and her family did the same when she was growing up. Do you see a pattern here? Some summers I would be disappointed because I would be absent from my friend group for approximately two months, but as the date to ship up north inched closer and closer, I found myself growing anxious to make the trek from New Jersey to New England.
My dad always maintained the notion to get involved in as many facets as you can up in Westerly because you never know where these potential networks will lead you later in life. So, my brother and I began sailing at the Weekapaug Yacht Club. The yacht club is one of the oldest clubs in America, first being opened in 1893. The club doesn’t look like much -- an oversized gray shack on a pond -- but the memories my brother and I made there over eight years of sailing are cemented into our memory. Great friends, acquaintances and of course, sailing have been molded here. All in all, I don’t know where I’d be had my family never gone to Rhode Island each of those summers. No matter how old I get, I always find myself checking up on the familiar shack, making sure it’s still there, and of course for a quick trip down memory lane.
Putting the yacht club aside, New England is great. It’s such a historical region in the history of our country. Before I go any further I want to make it perfectly clear that the New Jersey/New York area will always be my home. For all you New Englanders reading this, Tom Brady could have seven championship rings if it wasn’t for Eli Manning. See you in the Super Bowl, Tom. Having said that, New England, like New York City, is one of those cities where so much has happened. There’s a deep culture rooted within the streets and landmarks, it’s hard to overcome. Take Fenway Park, for example, it is by far one of the oldest and most historic baseball stadiums, maybe even one of the greatest stadiums in all of sports, along with the original Yankee Stadium. David Ortiz spoke after the Boston Marathon bombing prior to the Red Sox game, which was an unbelievable thing to watch. I don’t think there was one empty seat in the park. The Green Monster looked as intimidating as ever, and the fans were superfluously loud, almost forgetting what had happened a couple days ago. What a sight to see. This event, as well as many others all attribute to the city’s image, and their swagger; however, grabbing a cold beer on Yawkee way with some buddies and heading over to Fenway is right up there on the list.
In addition to the history my family and I have in New England, as well as the culture, the lifestyle has always been appealing to me. Something about residing close to the shoreline has always been cool, and there is plenty of that around where I stay in Rhode Island. Each day I drive by those picturesque houses on stilts just over the dunes, really an idyllic sight, almost straight out of a painting. Since my sailing career at the yacht club started the boating scene has always drawn me in, which is huge in cities like Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is home to the steep, Newport Bridge, which towers over the city, as well as the Narragansett Bay. Boat builders, and seafood restaurants also litter the city. Additionally, let’s not forget Cape Cod. The cape is your stereotypical retirement spot. Rustic harbors and towns are sprawled out all over the curled arm of Massachusetts. It’s a great spot for beaches, sailing, eating, and leisurely activities. Normally what you think of when you hear Massachusetts, along with Boston of course.
It’s simple. When I grow older my plan is to move to New England. I know a lot of my friends reading this from New England region will mock me for this, but I always dreamed of going to Red Sox games as a Yankee fan, and Patriots games as a Giants fan, you get the idea. Growing up in northern New Jersey all my life I have experienced a lot of the culture there. I believe being familiar with New England is a plus, so if I were to move somewhere it seems like the right fit. New York City will always be my home, but given the opportunity to live in a twin city like Boston, I would definitely take up that offer. Perceiving a city as a native of another is an idea I have always toyed with, and I think Boston as a New Jerseyan/New Yorker is an awesome chance. Although, in the end, you might be able to take the guy out of the city, but you can never take the city out of the guy.