Author: shannonshea30

“Are we already living in a virtual reality?” Virtual experiences have been around for sometime now, but never did I and so many others realize how important and riveting they are until this pandemic. I took experiences for granted, it’s sad that it took a national lockdown/closures for my realization. Graduations, weddings, family vacations and college tours all being cancelled due to COVID-19, are now taking place virtually! I did not have a virtual graduation or wedding but I did get to experience Disney World.

I have been to Disney more times than I can count, but never did I take a trip through my computer screen. I choose to “ride” all my top choice attractions, such as Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion and the Seven Dwarf Mine train. No complaints for the Haunted Mansion as the main point of the attraction is the fear factor rather than the thrill. Virtually going through the ride felt similar to the IRL experience because you just gaze around at the spooky characters and hear whacky noises. Thrill rides such as Splash Mountain and or the Seven Dwarf Mine Train lacked in quality. I did not feel the same “riding” the attraction due to the lack of movement.

Clearly I won’t go as fast as the ride or feel my stomach jolt into my throat, but maybe a little camera action may have given a nostalgic effect. Rather, I sat through the experience just gazing at the back of people’s heads on the ride or reminiscing upon the dreaded wait times. The scents, background music, characters and the overall spirit of Disney is what makes the experience so magical. I sadly did not get to sense this magic during my virtual trip. Virtual experiences make the best of the situation, but I would not chalk it up to the same as being present in person.

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Philadelphia has been renowned for Cheesesteaks for a very long time. For many outsiders, a pit stop at a cheesesteak joint makes or breaks their trip. I am originally from Long Island, NY. New Yorkers take our pizza and bagels quite seriously and I now see that the people of Philly take Cheesesteaks to a new level. 

For years I have been coming to Pennsylvania for family trips or softball tournaments. My family is a bunch of foodies, so we make it a point to hit a different cheesesteak place each trip. I have been to countless places, from famous Dalessandros to Sonny’s to Genos and all the little corner shops along the way. There was one place I was missing though, and come to think of it I do not know how I missed out on the royalty. Steve’s Prince of Steaks!  

Founded in 1980 by Steve Iliescu, Steve’s Prince of Steaks is now a go to spot in Philly. With five locations there is no reason not to stop at Steve’s. Attending college in the Philly area all the buzz about food revolved around Steve’s, I had to see for myself what all the hype was about. I was introduced into royalty by my best friend Roxy. We decided to take a trip to Steve’s one crisp autumn Sunday. A group of us piled into Roxy’s car to journey to the location and taste the cheesesteaks for ourselves. The group was a mix of locals and outsiders. Outside of the shop was a quaint neon sign lit up the parking lot, entering you see counter seating and a giant window for orders. Upon arrival everyone was trying to influence me to try the Steak the Philly way. Meaning cheese whiz and steak. Simple and plain but indulgent and delicious. I stuck to my roots and opted for a cheesesteak with provolone, lettuce, raw onions and lots and lots of mayo. The store workers along with my friends scoffed at my order. “You’re not in New York anymore Shannon”, chuckled Roxy. I smirked and awaited my order. The steaks came out quick and piping hot. I took my first bite, immediately I was satisfied. The juices from the steak and the melted cheese went together like a perfect symphony. I tried the steak Roxy and my other friends had ordered the classic steak of course. I enjoyed that single bite more than my NY style steak so from now on I will trust the locals’ opinions.

There’s more to this story than just me eating a cheesesteak, because food is not life. Family and friends should be the center of life. Roxy is Steve Iliescu’s granddaughter. Steve’s Prince of Steaks is a family run business. Each chain has a different overseer all somehow related to Steve himself. Having love and affection put into the food makes the quality and atmosphere ten times better than competitors. The Iliescu family is very hard working and proud of the royal line they have built. Roxy hopes to one day oversee one of the joints and continue on her family’s legacy. I am now inducted through Roxy into the line of royalty, I will never taste a NY style cheesesteak again nor will I ever bite a steak from Geno’s again. Steve’s has impacted my heart and my stomach.

Roxy in her Steve’s gear, ready to go to work !

Famous neon sign outside of each establishment.

To start off, I live on Long Island not in Long Island, this common misunderstanding drives people insane. 118 miles of flat land, surrounded by ocean. Beaches on all sides, and the city that never sleeps only a train ride away. What could be better than that!

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A swift drive down a long stretch of road, water right up to the edge of the highway, entitled Ocean Parkway. OP as the locals call it, runs between two of the most beautiful state parks on Long Island. Jones Beach has been around since 1929. I am lucky enough to call the beautiful beaches making up Jones, my home.

Ever since I can remember my family would be on that beach day in and day out during the summer time. Living five minutes away allowed us to do so. We would set up our own little zone, spanning out our beach chairs, blankets and tents, in order to take up enough space around us so that non-locals would not disturb our piece of the beach. As a state park, Jones Beach sees all walks of life, many people from all over flock to the island during the summer time to get a glimpse of how us locals live all year round. I am the epitome of a beach bum. Summer days you can find me laying out on the sand during my break from work, oh did I mention that I work at the beach!

Come winter time the chilly temps do not deter the regulars. My friends and I will often get takeout food and drive down to the beach, all to just sit in our heated cars while gazing at the beautiful sunsets that our beach provides. OP is also a place for healing. I will never forget the countless car rides down the parkway, blasting music talking about all our problems.

My best friend Caroline and I knew that road like the back of our hands. We would drive down it almost every week, when one of us needed a therapy session, after a breakup or a bad day at school. Come the end of August 2019 it was time to say goodbye to our favorite place. As a proper send off we took a drive down OP, blasting our favorite tunes and reminiscing about all the memories we had made.

As we circled at the turn around to begin heading back home we began to shed a few tears as we realized our happy place was not going to be five minutes away anymore. I was ready to embark on my new journey, but I forever know that the beach is my home. 

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