Who's Blogging?

Hey Binghamton, New York!!!  

I'm Stacey, the creator of 365 Binghamton.  This town is where I was born and where I currently reside.  I love this city, though there was a time when I didn't appreciate this area as much as I do now.  

After growing up here, attending three different local school districts (Binghamton, Susquehanna Valley, and Vestal)...it was time for me to spread my wings and FLY.  I first went to school at SUNY New Paltz in the Catskill Mountains.  Did I appreciate those gorgeous hills back then?  Nope!  Oh, the beauty I took for granted!!  After a short stint there, I made my way up to Syracuse where I graduated with a degree in design from Syracuse University.  Next stop.....  NYC!!!  

I made my way to Hoboken, NJ - straight across the Hudson from Manhattan.  What an experience!!! From subways, to taxi-cabs, to overly priced closet-sized apartments; from music venues, wild and crazy nightlife scenes, museums, art galleries, street festivals, theater, and amazing restaurants.... I experienced it all.  I loved my time there - working in Hoboken, volunteering for a local theater company, and being a key member of an artist's collective.  But, then it was time to come home.  After four years, I relocated back to my hometown.  It was an adjustment, but one I was happy to make.  

After being back for a few years, I can tell you, I really started to feel comfortable.  I was loving the seasons, even winter, in a way I had never experienced before.  After living in a concrete and towering city.....I actually began to appreciate the nature that surrounded me in Upstate NY.  I felt calm and at peace, something that was much harder to attain in the city that never sleeps.  But, I still felt restless, unable to curtail my wanderlust.  I couldn't accept that Binghamton was the place for me.  So.....there I was, running once again, off into the sunset.  

Next destination: Austin, TX!!  Now, this was a BIG move.  Something I was scared to do, but something that I also felt very strongly called to do.  So, I followed that call.  Austin is AMAZING!!  I like to refer to it as a "shiny happy bubble".  I met some beautiful people with beautiful lives, and I feel extremely blessed for having had some time there.  But, I never felt settled.  Though I was able to experience so much love and acceptance and joy while living there, I knew deep in my heart that it wasn't my home, and it never would be.  

So, I moved back.  Cause that's what they say, right?  Binghamton just sucks you right back in.  And for that I am grateful.  Because my family is here, and I feel grounded here, and I'm at peace, and LIFE IS GOOD.  I do feel settled and nothing compares to the wonderful feeling of being able to let go and relax into this space.  This is where I AM and my heart couldn't be happier!!  Thank you Binghamton, NY for accepting me back with open arms.  

And thank YOU for being here, right now, on this page!!  Binghamton is really a wonderful place to live, and I plan on proving that to all the naysayers.  There is a TON to do in this city and the surrounding areas.  And we're so close to so many exciting places, where a day or weekend trip can serve the purpose of changing things up a bit.  We've got good restaurants, good schools, local sports-teams, active theater groups, and innovative people who want this city to thrive!!!  We are on the upswing Binghamtonians, and I'm happy to be a part of that.