Manchester, New Hampshire is an old mill town 50 minutes north of Boston, many locals would call it metro Boston. I moved from Atlanta, Georgia to the town at the age of eighteen to begin my college career. After three years of being immersed in my studies and school affiliated work programs, I took a job my senior year at a local pizzeria named Alley Cat.
I started the job trying to find a way to integrate myself into a very close and diverse group of co-workers. The first few months were a difficult field to navigate but I eventually became an integral part of the team. The pizzeria is owned by Jim Eastman. Jim is a kind man with a daughter named Jenny, who recently gave birth to his first grandchild. I also became very close with a coworker named Russell. Russell lives in Kittery, Maine and has traveled an hour each day for the past ten years to work at Alley Cat. It is the commitment of the employes and patrons that foster an environment that is not unique, but is something that everyone longs for. Alley Cat became a safe haven for me after moving away from my family. It gave me a sense of home I had lost when I moved from Georgia. It became my place to confide, my place for guidance, and my place of religion.
