Going the Extra Mile Alex Nichamin

The excitement, first felt in my stomach, is building within me. We’ve almost reached the place that will enable me to begin every day of the next two weeks happy and satisfied. I’ve been craving what awaits me inside this place for the last ten days. The aroma is enveloping my senses and with every step closer the wonderful smell grows stronger and stronger. I walk inside with my mother, already thinking about what combination of bagels I want to order: six salt, three onion, and three cinnamon-raisin or seven, two, and three? I decide on five salt, five cinnamon-raisin, and only two onion because I remember we don’t have any tomatoes at home, and onion bagels are best with cream cheese and tomatoes. For the two-hour ride home, I position the bagels as far away from my seat as possible, lest I be tempted to bite into one which would cause another bagel-less morning.

Small, rural towns are great places to grow up, and I’m thankful I’ve lived in one. But there is one key element to life here, at least to my life here, that is lacking—good, fresh bagels. The culinary talent for all types of food in the area is not exactly first-rate, or even of mediocre quality. This is expected and accepted, but there isn’t even a bad bagel...