When people asked me where I was going in America for my year abroad, there was always a slight moment of hesitation, a slight furrow of the brow before they responded psuedo-enthusiastically to my answer. I could see them thinking why Bethlehem? Why this small city in the middle of nowhere? Why east coast? Why Pennsylvania? And I didn't really have much of an answer for them. I chose Lehigh as my top choice because I thought the campus was beautiful and it was close to New York; it was a simple as that. Bethlehem the town didn't really play into my decision. But now I'm here, I know it is perfect for me.
Moving to America and not coming home for an entire year was a massive decision and if I had moved to a humungous city that made feel tiny, a city that I didn't feel safe walking out on my own or that was simply too big to fully familiarise myself with, I think that would have made the move a million times worse. Also, because Bethlehem quite clearly isn't an obvious tourist destination, it doesn't feel like I'm on holiday. From the moment I arrived and checked into my apartment, it felt like home. It felt like this was my permanent living space. And Bethlehem really is small. It has two supermarkets which are only double the size of the corner shop in my village! But I really like it.
The Lehigh Valley is so green and lush (but not in a hairdresser way!) and beautiful. Yesterday I started to explore life outside South Bethlehem, I wandered over the river and up and around a gorgeous cemetery and the view was amazing and this is only 1/5th of the way up the hill!
This is such a non-tourist town that I felt so awkward taking out my camera to take photos, but I know that I wanted to share what this lovely little place looks like. There are so many nooks and cranies with such character, some areas are immaculate and others more worn down, but it feels lived in. And that's what I love about it. When I tell people that I am living in Bethlehem, PA, for a year, I know that no one is going to be blown away in awe and jealousy. I know that my instagram photos won't be gloriously sunny or impressive like Adam's will as he spends a year in San Diego. But if I want big city life, New York is just a $50 bus ride away, and for when I don't, I have a little town here that I can call home.
