I’m Bryan Vicente, a senior studying Industrial and Labor Relations from Larkspur, CA. Being born and raised in California, living in Ithaca has been a unique experience. While the most noticeable differences include the trees changing colors in the fall, football starting at 1 pm instead of 10 am, or the fact that I can’t wear shorts in the winter, I’ve learned that Ithaca has much more to offer than just our wonderful University. From hiking along Buttermilk Falls to eating dinner downtown, I’ve made the most of my time in Ithaca. My friends and I even drive to nearby Dryden every now and then to find great hidden eats and enjoy the best soft serve around at “The Frosty Cow.” 

Last year, my friend Ethan told me about a place called “Babcha’s Pierogies,” known for having the best pierogies outside of Poland. It was in Watkins Glen, another upstate town just over half an hour from campus. Our group of five friends from large cities across the country made our way to Watkins Glen. We took a stroll around town before sitting down at Babcha’s. Not only were the pierogies worth the hype, but we also became enamored with the town. After spending time at the visitor center, we were recommended to drive six miles up Seneca Lake to Shtayburne Farm Creamery, where we enjoyed farm-fresh cheese and ice cream flights. On our way home, we stopped at a local pizzeria and did our best Dave Portnoy impressions, awarding Jerlando’s an impressive 7.8 stars. The experience was unbelievable, and for all of us, it was our first real small-town experience besides our time spent in Ithaca. 

Since then, our group, held together by a group chat named “World Tour,” has sought to explore every inch of Western New York. We toured the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, which stood in the same place as Elizabeth Cady Stanton during the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and we visited the Corning Museum of Glass to see live glass blowing. We drove two and a half hours to Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn in Angelica, NY, to experience all-you-can-eat buckwheat pancakes and house-made Maple Syrup, which is only open two months out of the entire year. We’ve gone to the Spotted Duck in Penn Yan, NY, which was awarded the title of “Best Ice Cream in America” by influencer Cohen Thompson, who visited every state in the contiguous US to discover our nation’s best ice cream. We’ve even gone back to Watkins Glen for NASCAR Race Weekend. Coming from an area completely opposite of Upstate New York, I never would have thought that I’d find so much joy in exploring “the middle of nowhere,” which was my initial epithet for the region. However, I now look forward to every weekend when another “World Tour” is on the calendar.