I was down in Manhattan, visiting my friend Lottie. She had some other friends over, whom I’d never met, so she graciously offered some introductions.

“Jenna, these are Penny & Ned. They’re from the Island. This is Jenna, she’s from upstate.”

“Upstate, really?” asked Max, impressed. “Where abouts? The Bronx?”

“No, Poughkeepsie,” I replied. They nodded & curiously muttered between them. It was like I said I was from China or something.

A few weeks after that I drove my pickup down to Georgia to visit some family. When I arrived, they happened to be sitting with their neighbor on the porch. I cheerfully introduced myself.

“Ah yes,” the neighbor, a wiry older gentleman. “Y’all are the relative from New York, right?”

“Yes sir.” He peered over my shoulder at my blue pickup, slightly amused.

“Y’gotta nice truck, but how do you get it around in city traffic?”

As I smiled and explained, I couldn’t help but think, The City’s nice, but there’s so much more to New York than just the City that Never Sleeps.