In about two months, I will leave a lifestyle I’ve grown to love.
With not much to pack but clothes, my kitchenware and bed, I’ll move across the country to a town with a similar climate, but a different atmosphere.
The thing about Boone is that when you’re here, you take it for granted—from the scenic drives around town, to the friendly locals who welcome anyone at anytime, from the dozen eclectic local restaurants to the snow every Easter.
Before coming to this town, I didn’t expect to fall in love with Boone.
After living in and near big cities, it was going to be my getaway for four years.
I was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, only miles from Manila.
I moved to Los Angeles when I was 8 years old.
Finally, before high school, I moved to Huntersville, North Carolina.
In my four years here, I’ve noticed it’s the little things about Boone that make it such a memorable place.
Take it from a veteran—get out and fall in love with the town that you’ll one day leave.
Go outside and play.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is only miles away.
My favorite trail to hike is Price Lake, which is a 2.3-mile loop.
It’s also a hike away from Hebron Rock Colony.
Hebron was once a great place to camp, but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting this well-known outdoor playground.
Go to Grandfather Mountain.
If you
live or go to school here, Grandfather has “Dollar Days” where you only
pay $1 to visit any of the trails or the bridge. And, try to camp at
Grandfather at least once.
I camped
on top of Attic Window and the long three-hour hike from the Profile
Trail off of U.S. Highway 421 was worth the sunset view, as well as the
morning view.
Watch out for the rainy weather because you’ll have to hop over rocks at over 3,000 feet off the ground.
After I used to camp out at Hebron, my friends and I would always go to Boone Bagelry after a night out in the wilderness.
The
Bagelry has now become a staple weekend breakfast eatery for my
boyfriend and me. The waitresses come out with our usual morning drinks
of mocha and coffee the moment we walk in.
I will miss the wonderful service the Bagelry has provided us.
Tip them well, they deserve it.
Don’t miss out on Coyote Kitchen.
Don’t forget to ask about their specially made hot sauce. It’s free.
There’s a ton of specials in Boone, so just visit BooneDeals.com to see where your money can go the furthest.
Now to a more serious matter: the weather.
Boone will always get snow when you least expect it.
Always have your scraper in your car.
When you’re picking where you’re going to live, remember Appalachian State University will not cater to your needs.
Always have salt on hand just in case your driveway is covered with ice.
My final advice is to find a family to belong to.
They’ll help you get through the day.
I’ve luckily found two—The Appalachian newspaper family and my HomEq Servicing family.
Working
a 20-hour job as a collections specialist and an over 20-hour job as
the Associate Editor for Production Operations while being a full-time
student with a 16-hour work load is not only difficult, but requires an
immense amount of scheduling and a group of friends to keep you from
going insane.
I’ve worked at HomEq Servicing as a collections specialist for about three years now.
My job,
with an economy like this, is not fun. But the camaraderie I’ve gained
with my co-workers is enough to get me through my shift.
My late nights at The Appalachian office were high-stressed, but have also been a great bonding experience for me.
With a deadline looming over our heads, the editors are understanding and help me with as much work as possible.
For that, I am forever grateful.
To my
graphic designers and my editorial cartoonist, you guys have been so
helpful and creative. Thanks for making production days easier and full
of laughter.
To the
handful of professors that have improved my college experience with
their superior knowledge, thanks for sharing it with me. Your passion
for your lectures was the reason I didn’t want to miss class.
To the future classes of Appalachian, enjoy this treasure of a town while it’s still small.
And
lastly, the most important thing I have learned to enjoy college is to
live it to the fullest. Don’t sweat the small stuff because mistakes
will happen. And without mistakes, you can’t learn and improve.
Chrisan Tolentino, a senior journalism major from Quezon City, Philippines, is the Associate Editor for Production Operations.
Trackback(0)
 |
Opinion 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments
