Travel Weekly: Next stop, Newark, Delaware
For any travel lovers looking for peace and harmony, Santa Monica College student Lamin Ngobeh, 29, says Newark, Del. is the place to be. After living in Newark for more than 20 years, Ngobeh feels that the best thing about his hometown is the simplicity it offers.
"Newark is slow motion, so it's a great place to raise kids," says Ngobeh. "It's not as busy, it's not as crazy, or exposed as the rest of the country. It's really small town America, so it's pretty cool."
Ngobeh says that the fact that Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution is enough incentive for people to go and check it out. Delaware is in a tri-state area, which Ngobeh thinks helps if people want to travel around to different towns and cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., without really having to be on the road for too long.
Ngobeh notes that Delaware is much more spacious than California, and that there is no state sales tax in Delaware, so it is more convenient for people.
After spending the majority of his life in Newark, Ngobeh decided to move on his own to California to pursue music. After briefly attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Ngobeh began attending SMC as a music major, focusing on piano.
Ngobeh also says that his favorite part of California is its music opportunities.
"This is one of the top places in the entire country where you can make a feasible living being a musician and not have to tour everywhere," said Ngobeh. "You can have local gigs and actually focus on raising a family."
As someone who enjoys traveling to other places, Ngobeh says the Dominican Republic really made him feel as if he was in Newark.
"The people were amazing," said Ngobeh. "They're really hospitable, really loving, and whether they worked at the resort or not, they were just really open and really cool."
In the Dominican Republic, Ngobeh had the chance to swim with sharks and dolphins, which he called a great experience.
Another place Ngobeh hopes to travel to is Miami.
"It looks really rich with culture, and people just look like they have a good time," he said.
With the rest of his family back in Delaware, Ngobeh looks to return sooner rather than later. He recommends for anyone to visit his hometown of Newark
"It gives you a different perspective in life, I think," said Ngobeh. "It's much more relaxed, and you can actually live the nine-to-five lifestyle and be content with it."