is a bit of a strange one, or at least not what you imagine initially for someone is living in New York. At the moment I am staying with family in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, sometimes called Little Odessa, which is just down the boardwalk from Coney Island with its famous amusement park. The Cyclone is one of the last wooden rollercoasters left and it is certainly one of the most jarring.

Stepping off the train here I’m only a block from the boardwalk and beyond that is the ocean. It is immediately relaxing. The pace of life suits a suburb, which it certainly is being an hour by train from Manhattan. I’ve been commuting back and forth for almost a month now and I assure you it is a long ride. Between that and not having internet at home, I’m planning on packing up my suitcase again in the near future.

But for this little piece of summer, it’s a fantastic place to be. Living here makes me feel that my travels are not over, for its boasts a unique, sometimes campy, bizarre mix of elements. In fact, its mix of cultures and customs it might be more typical”New York” than I realized.