Central PA Nostalgia

Sometimes, I have these crazy moments of insanity and nostalgia where I miss my life growing up in Central PA.

When I first moved out of the area, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. What would it be like to have a mall...or 3 malls, 10 minutes away?? How about a wide variety of restaurant selections? Entertainment?

Don't get me wrong, I love the convenience of living somewhere more urban than where I grew up. However, when I go home to visit my parents, the sheer tranquility of waking up with no noise, a giant plot of land, and...nature...makes me miss home.

Now, obviously, we're much better off in Maryland than the concrete jungle they call New Jersey. But there are many things I miss about my hometown in PA:

1. Space: It's nice to be able to walk out your back door and not be forced to talk to your neighbors. Let's face it, sometimes I just want to walk outside in my underpants and not worry about who's going to see me.

2. Hartley's Potato Chips: The only people that will ever understand this obsession are those that grew up on these treats in Mifflin County. I have never found a chip that will compare. When I give them to friends and they aren't completely floored by their deliciousness, I get personally upset and offended.

3. No traffic: Minus the drive through Harrisburg, my humble hometown in PA boasts NO traffic. NONE. I thought there was traffic when I lived there...then I moved around a city. You don't know traffic until you've been parked in the middle of a highway for hours, or sat at a green light...through several light changes.

4. Family: I think this is pretty obvious. I wish I could pop over for dinner, or host a dinner at my house. Or even call my sister to run into JCPenney's with me.

5. OIP (Original Italian Pizza): This is one of the only restaurants in my hometown. Little did I know, when I gathered there with my friends in high school, that I'd be longing for their homemade bread dipped in ranch dressing some day in my future. Or a sub. Or pizza. Or a grilled chicken salad.

There are plenty of other things I miss. Will I ever move back? Probably not. As much as I miss it, I would probably move back for a month and complain about the same stuff I did before. I'd much rather cherish my visits.