Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I always say I am my happiest when I am surrounded by my family and friends eating great food.’

Massapequa Park

“I always say I am my happiest when I am surrounded by my family and friends eating great food. My mom is from Italy and my dad is from Lebanon. Growing up, I was blessed to have been exposed to two incredible cultures and always cooking and learning recipes from each. I especially love keeping traditions alive like making sauce every summer with my Italian side and baking cookies for Easter with my Lebanese side.

“The kitchen is the heart of our house and being able to share recipes and cook together has always been a big part of my life. I always loved trying new foods around the world, dining at different restaurants, and taking pictures. I decided to start a passion project combining a few of my favorite things into one page: food, photography, restaurants, and travel. That is when I started @travellongisland to create a place where people can learn about great restaurants, activities, and ask me about Long Island and all it has to offer.

Especially after everything we have gone through these past couple of years with COVID, it’s so important to do something that makes you happy.

“At first, some friends poked fun at the idea, but I wasn’t letting that stop me! I was so passionate about it and it showed. I now have almost 50,000 followers and have worked with some incredible businesses. I love when I go to restaurants and they donate part of their proceeds to charities. That’s a great aspect because I’ve always been interested in giving back and will definitely incorporate a service component to my blog going forward. My focus is to display places that I truly believe are the best on Long Island, NYC, and wherever I am traveling.

“I often go back to places to ensure consistency because that is key. I also started a new series sharing recipes with my audience which has been a great way to incorporate my culture as well as various dishes I have enjoyed over the years. Especially after everything we have gone through these past couple of years with COVID, it’s so important to do something that makes you happy. I love being able to experience new places and sharing that with people that follow me. I have also met some of my best friends through this which I am forever grateful for. I am excited to continue expanding my blog and working with different restaurants and companies with social media marketing.”

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Faces of Long Island is produced by Newsday Consumer Marketing. This content does not involve the reporting and editing staff of Newsday’s Editorial Department.