a state of being

By: Maddie Leftkowitz

I often get the question, “Which do you prefer, Pennsylvania or California?”

Most of the time my answer is the latter

I grew up in the Golden State, it isn’t easy to leave a place known for its perfection

When it comes to cities, San Francisco is far superior to Philadelphia in my mind

I’m angry that this school has 4 years of required P.E. instead of only 2

I miss the autumn fairs of my childhood that for some goddamn reason don’t exist here.

And I’m quite a sad, sad person.

But I also like things here.

It took me a while to appreciate them because they were foreign and strange.

I still don’t understand why there are no sidewalks

and while all the people around me have so many memories attached to everything

I have nothing and my nostalgia comes back to me in pieces

but I also love things here.

I love how the churches look like Hogwarts

And the houses look like something out of a book I read when I was 10

I love how rain can be warm and school ends at 2:40

I love my obnoxious prick of a dog and the blisters almost like battle scars on my fingertips

I love a ridiculously handsome skater who makes me smile like crazy

Panera mac n cheese. Eyebrows. Scary movies.

Coats that feel like hugs. Laughing so hard it hurts.

Screaming from excitement. Dancing like an idiot to prehistoric choir music.

This one boy I kissed who smelled like peppermint.

Also global literacy has increased to 85%

The world is now closer than ever to erasing polio

I could marry a woman in 26 countries

and some days I’m just like

Hey

This is pretty nice.