When I was
trying to think of something to blog about because I’ve been slacking lately, a
friend at school suggested writing a type of travel guide to where I grew up. I
think I offended her a little when I laughed in her face. I didn’t mean to, but
a travel guide isn’t needed for my sleepy little town.
Nonetheless,
I thought it would be fun, even if it was a little short.
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| Welcome to the Brockway borough's dam (best water ever, and no I'm not bias just because my boyfriend works there) |
So welcome
to my little town of Brockway, Pennsylvania! Home to about 2200 people and not
close to anything! When I tell people where I’m from, I usually say a small
town in western PA then launch into what it’s closest to since they’ve usually
never heard of Brockway. I’m two hours north of Pittsburgh, an hour west of
Penn State, and two hours south of Erie.
I’m from
western PA, much different from what people outside of the state think. I’m a
fan of Pittsburgh sports, live nowhere near Philly, and prefer Sheetz to Wawa.
It’s also called pop, not soda.
When people
jokingly talk about the stereotypical small town they might as well be
describing my one-stoplight hometown.
I can name all 45 people I
graduated with and could probably still recognize their handwriting. Seeing
someone ride through town on a tractor isn’t a big deal and you wave as you
pass them (usually it’s my uncle). Sneaking out of the house was easy when I
was young, the hard part was avoiding seeing someone who would tell my parents
I was out.
One of the biggest shocks when I
moved to college was we didn’t receive the Monday after Thanksgiving off of
school. I’ve never had to go to school on that day because even if the schools
in my area were open, no one would go because they’re all out in the woods on
the opening day of buck season.
I’ve lived
in the same house in the same town for 20 years and I can still only list a
handful of streets and where they are located. I give directions by landmarks
and who lives where and my friends know what I mean.
The only traffic jam you will ever
experience in Brockway is trying to get out of the football field parking lot
on a Friday night, or attempting to drive around town on the 4th of
July.
The 4th of July in
Brockway is a big deal. It is the most anticipated day of the year and people
joke that it’s when Brockway’s population goes from 2200 to 22,000. Family,
friends, and strangers pour in from all over to attend the festivities on the
fourth. Because of how I grew up celebrating the Fourth in Brockway and because
I absolutely love America, it is hands down my favorite holiday. Now before I
get carried away dreaming of the Fourth and reminiscing of past celebrations,
without further ado, a travel guide to Brockway, PA.
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| Paula was one of the most fun bosses I ever worked for |
The Rocky Grill has changed so much
since my childhood. I can still remember going there with my family and
stealing sips of my dad’s grasshopper when I thought he wasn’t looking. And
every year a few weeks before Christmas we would rent out the back room as an
entire family and have my grandpa and uncle’s birthday party. We’d karaoke
together as a family and enjoy each other’s company. The best thing about the
Grill is that I can go there for a quick lunch during the summer while I’m
working. Or I can stop in before a football game to grab a burger and wings,
but it was also the number one spot to eat prom dinner and take pictures on the
steps. Today the Grill is under new
management and I had the privilege of working there for a year before I left
for school. I had such a wonderful time and met so many amazing people with
incredible stories. I was sad when I heard it was sold again, but it stands as
a landmark in our town as it’s been passed from owner to owner.
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| Nothing beats a buffalo chicken calazone from Paesano's |
If I’m talking food, I had to group
some of my other favorite places into the mix. Paesano’s is the best place
around if you’re looking for a hoagie (especially Italian ones with extra
peppers!). The BP Inn is a favorite hangout of my brother and his friends so I
don’t frequent it nearly as often so as to not embarrass him, but it’s still a
great place to get pizza and wings. Scottish Heights has some of the most
creative dishes I’ve ever eaten, and it’s a fun atmosphere because there is
always live entertainment even if you’re not one for golfing.
Brockway may be small, but a few
years ago we were blessed with two amazing educational opportunities. The first
was the Brockway Center for Arts and Technology. At BCAT, anyone has the chance
to train for real jobs in the area such as a pharmacy technician or medical
assistant. Or else they can get involved with the art aspect of the program
through ceramics. The other was Butler
County Community College. Both are giving people of all ages a chance to enrich
their learning experience right from town.
The Fire
hall. Some of the best memories from my childhood came from the carnival they
hosted for a week during the summer. I also always get my money’s worth at its
all you can eat pancake breakfast the Sunday after thanksgiving.
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| Always repin' the red and black |
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| Johnny and I at Joey's Confirmation mass |
It felt wrong to write a blog about
Brockway and not include St. Tobias. Most people in my town identify themselves
as Italian and Catholic, and that really is the truth. If you don’t get to
Christmas Eve mass at least 30 minutes early, there is no way you’re going to
get a seat. I was baptized, received my first communion, and confirmed here,
and I’m sure my children will be too.
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| My beloved frozen hot chocolate (no whipped cream and extra chocolate) |
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| I aspire to be half as amazing as Angel someday |
My favorite
store and staffed by some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met is Hepler’s
Country Store. If I walk in I have to have one specific item in mind and vow I
will not buy anything else or I would walk out with half the store and
completely broke. The owner, Angel, is also one of the most genuine, friendliest, sweetest,
and down to earth women I have ever met. I love going in just to chat with her
about life. She makes shopping fun (and that’s saying a lot because there is
absolutely nothing I hate more than shopping). I don’t think I could have
survived two years at Syracuse University if it wasn’t for her making sure I
had the warmest boots and down-coat known to man.
Speaking of
Hepler’s, another place in Brockway that I have not had the opportunity to
grace my business with yet, but it’s coming soon, is Hepler’s Beer Distributor.
To those of you who don’t know, PA still doesn’t allow beer to be sold in
convenience or grocery stores (hopefully soon!). That doesn’t mean I haven’t
been to Hepler’s quite a few times with my dad to stock the beer fridge. In 175 days, they’ll see me often when I come to be a regular customer.
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| Glass Plant 19 |
Some other
major employers are Guardian Elder Care and Phoenix Sintered Metals. When I was
young, during the summer my dad use to bring me to work at Guardian every now
and then. Even when I go out there today and see the people who have been
working there for years they always tell me stories of all the “work” I use to
do. Since I’ve grown up (at least a little) and gotten a big girl job, I’ve moved
on to spend my summers at Phoenix. Last year, and even over Christmas break I
had a blast working at the powdered metal factory. It is one of the neatest
processes to see powder be made into little parts that are crucial components to
things such as guns, engines, ATVs, snow mobiles, and the list seems
endless.
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| Now I'm lucky enough to share my time at the park with my baby brother |
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| Yes, I stupidly biked 36 miles with absolutely no training |
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| Reminiscing on my senior year as the football ball girl |
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| Walter has been working at the football field for 23 years (he also swears this is his last but has been saying that for awhile now!) |
Some people
hate being restricted to such a little town because they have big city dreams.
I can respect that. Even people in my family have moved away, hoping to pursue
something bigger in life. I can’t imagine that though? Even being a few hours
away at school, I miss the peace and quiet and the familiarity that Brockway
offers. I cannot wait to be done with school, move back home and raise a family
in my little town. It’s my hometown and I would not be anywhere near the person
I am today if it wasn’t for growing up in Brockway.
