From NYC to Blacksburg, VA

I’m from New York City. Born and raised in Queens, and went to school in Manhattan for high school, college, and masters. So, coming down to rural Blacksburg, VA has been a big change in scenery.

Blacksburg is a beautiful town. There are many aspects of the area that I love: clean air, quiet, and plenty of outdoor activities. As someone pursuing a PhD, I am essentially a professional student, so the lack of distractions is much appreciated.

I do love the fact that many outdoor activities are so easily accessible in the area. Hiking trails are as close as a 15 minute drive away, The New River and Blacksburg Quarry for SCUBA diving are within 15 minutes away as well.

The biggest things I miss about NYC is the food and pizza. There is so much good ethnic cuisine that Blacksburg does not have. The way around it is to try and cook it yourself.

I had subscribed to Blue Apron last semester, and it really kickstarted cooking meals at home versus buying and ordering food. The 30-60 minutes to cook and eat is a nice distraction from the daily stress from school.