Two years ago, Samuel, one of my older brothers, decided to continue is academic career and he committed to Robert Morris, a college that is located in Pittsburgh. This was something that impacted my life greatly. My whole family missed my brother once he left. He was also missing his family, too, so we ended up making frequent trips to visit him in Pittsburgh. Our family would try to make a trip down there every other weekend. These were the highlights of the months.

Seeing my brother was always a pleasure, but my favorite part of these trips were the long car rides. In these rides is when the family seemed to be the most joyous and we would look out at the sights and experience the new culture that was around us. I found these experiences to teach me something new every time. I felt a sense of clarity, and it really opened my eyes. I have always lived in a small town, so getting to see the city and the way other people lived showed me how to be considerate of others and how they survive in different environments.

My brother switched colleges a year ago and this college is a lot closer to home. The last time I went out to get my brother was to help him pack to come home for the summer.  I did not expect my trip to be any different than the last, but the agony of knowing I would not be back every weekend was depressing. I felt like I was noticing things that I had missed from the trips before. Everything that I saw held a deeper meaning and was more impactful. This city will forever leave an imprint in my life.