I'm originally from Webster NY, which is outside of Rochester. I moved from there in 1990 to do to school in Colorado always thinking I'd be back there someday. Well... after 10 years in Colorado and 5 years in Washington state, I now find myself happily living in New Zealand with my family. We've been here for almost 4 years.
After visiting Rochester last October here's what I miss...
Actually, I'll start with the things I don't miss.
- I don't miss snow for 5 months of the year. Not just the snow, but the gray skies, the shoveling, driving in it, all that.
- Rusty cars.
- I don't miss the negativity that has crept into that area. Seems to me that people were a lot happier back in the day.
- I don't miss the over-consumerism. (Not just Rochester, but in the USA) Same goes for pro-war, Nascar rednecks.
- I don't miss the heat and humidity of the height of summer
- IROC Z's, and other meathead cars.
- Traffic
- Crime. (We were shocked to see the nightly news reports while in Rochester.)
- I DO miss my friends and family still back there.
- I miss the great food from that area. German or Italian deli's, the BEST pizza. New Zealand has yet to impress me. (I miss you Bill Grays!!!!)
- Wegmans. The greatest grocery store in the world.
- The Adirondacks
- Finger Lakes in autumn
- Bills/Sabres/Amerks
- I really miss the familiarity of the surroundings. (including N. American birds and mammals.)
- Christmas during wintertime. (It's still weird having a bar-b-que on the beach to celebrate Christmas)
It's actually funny that this thread just started as yesterday was the first day in NZ where I felt a tinge of homesickness.
Go Bills!