Now, let’s be completely honest, zero bullcrap, all realness... Pizza is the best creation humans have made. Good pizza is life-changing, OK pizza is revolutionary, and crappy pizza is “eh.” Still though, pizza on average is just great! But why? Why do dough, tomato sauce, and cheese create such an amazing experience you can eat? These pressing questions have yet to be answered by our scientific and scholarly community, but I am of the opinion that this experience is founded on its abundance, relative cheapness, carbohydrates, fats, and excellent flavor. Regardless of whether we know the answer to these questions, we all agree (except for some lactose intolerant people) that pizza is quite possibly a gift from a higher being—most likely an extraterrestrial creature.

I hope that by this point I have expressed my deep feelings toward the great pizza pie. These strong emotions are the driving force of my obsession with pizza. Ask any of my high school friends and they will attest to my love for it. Ask any of my college friends and they will be surprised and ask, “Since when do you have an obsession with pizza?” The reason why I have not been too vocal about my relationship with pizza is because it is a little embarrassing (although I know it should not be) to admit the fact that I am a foodie. Yes, I said it loud and clear; I have a true appreciation for excellent cuisine, especially pizza.

I came to this realization a couple of days ago. Our suite/hall went to a really good Asian fusion restaurant place, Han Dynasty, near campus with our GA. As we sat there and waited for our entrees, my excitement for the food grew exponentially. It was very clear to others how much I was looking forward to this. Time seemed to slow down as I saw the waitress carrying the delicious food to our table. I led out a small squeal of joy when the food got to us. When all of the sudden, our GA playfully says “I can totally tell that Dylan is a foodie.” The world paused. It was the first time someone had put a label to my love for food. In that moment, the ambivalence I carried about my feelings toward food disappeared. I had come to terms with myself.

I wished I could have realized this while eating a slice of pizza, but it’s all good because that moment made me appreciate pizza even more. Although I now have some idea of the cause of my obsession, there is still a long, treacherous path until I reach a point where I completely figure out why I love pizza. Right now, all I can do is continue that journey to see where it takes me.