In less than two months, I will graduate from Lancaster Mennonite High School, and I’m more than excited. I can’t wait to escape the immature boys, mediocre lunches and never-ending math classes. However, I will be leaving beautiful Lancaster County as I continue my education in Goshen, Indiana, at Goshen College. So because I’m a total sap, I’ve created a list of my favorite things about Lancaster. Enjoy!
- The Coffee Company’s caramel latte
In my totally “qualified” opinion, the best caramel latte in Lancaster is at the Coffee Company. I have searched high and low for a latte that compares to Coffee Co.’s and have yet to find anything that can measure up to it. As I prepare to go to college next year, I worry that I won’t be able to find a latte as delicious as the Coffee Company’s. What will keep me awake during all-nighters? How will I get through my finals? What will I spend all of my money on?
- First Fridays
One of my favorite things to do is go to First Friday in downtown Lancaster. I love walking around the city, listening to the town troubadours, and stepping into each and every art gallery to take a peek. First Fridays are such a popular event that I typically end up stumbling into (pretty much) everyone I know. I have never experienced such a feeling of community and culture as I have at First Fridays.
- The Amish
I think the best part of living in Lancaster is telling nonresidents that I live near the “Amish Mafia.” I always get a wide-eyed “Really?!” as a response. But in all reality, I love living so close to the Amish counterculture. The Amish make Lancaster so interesting and unique. And even though Sunday morning traffic is horrendous in rural areas of Lancaster County because of Amish church services, I will miss the sound of horses clopping down the back roads and the incredible roadside shoofly pie stands.
- The food
Where else can you get a Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot-pie, authentic Ethiopian food and a classic cheeseburger all within 10 miles of each other? Only Lancaster! Now that I’m older, I’m much more willing to try the different foods and cuisines that Lancaster has to offer. And let me tell you, my life has changed for the better. Now, a bowl of real Japanese ramen from Issei Noodles satisfies me much more than a bowl of macaroni and cheese from a chain restaurant ever did.
- Lancaster itself
When living in Lancaster, you get the best of both worlds. I am so glad I was raised in Lancaster, where Amish country and city life are so closely linked. Many of my peers are ready to leave Lancaster, but I think living here is awesome. The city and the countryside are equal distances from my house; I could easily go buy an authentic shoofly pie and then take a walk down Prince Street, while cars race past me. Besides my family and friends, I know that I will greatly miss living in Lancaster.