Follow A Friend
By: Mia Arruda
Landing in a far away country with sweeping views or in a colorful city with a full, rich history is an amazing opportunity to learn more about the world, yourself, and experience something new. However, one of the best ways to open your eyes to something new and exciting is to go home with a friend. Cornell students from all over the country and all over the world are experts in where they are from.
Over February break last semester, I got to visit a new place I never would have known about if not for a close friend of mine, Saegertown, Pennsylvania.
Much smaller than my hometown in California, Saegertown is a close knit community where everybody knows everybody. All the stories I heard about highschool buddies, favorite places, and community lore seem to mesh together to draw people closer in a way that I have never experienced before, and I was lucky to get a glimpse of somewhere so familiar to someone I know so well.
While there are no major attractions in Saegertown, the natural beauty of forests and waterways are popular amongst locals and are a way to get some fresh air. A calm and quiet in these spaces is hard to achieve in more populous areas, and Saegtertown’s slowness can be refreshing to those who haven’t had the experience to visit anywhere like it before.
Traveling with a friend or loved one isn’t just an experience to travel to a place, but a way to learn more about them and their day to day. The good and the bad and everything in between can all be encapsulated within a place in a way that stories and photographs cannot capture. The ability to gain a deeper understanding of someone else in this way cannot be replicated, being able to interact with their loved ones is a great way to learn from all kinds of people from all walks of life.
On my trip to Saegertown I got to experience “Kate’s Craft Room,” get one of the tastiest subs, and visit the best thrift store. I was invited to these spaces which have all been carefully curated, a process of learning that takes place over years of living in one place through different seasons and stages of life. All I got to visit represents not only the town, but also its residents and my friend–they are shaped by each other.
My favorite part about being in Saegertown was that I could finally experience my friend’s passion and pride in her hometown, and the fact that with all of its flaws and quirks, it shaped who she is.
I urge you to follow a friend, whether their hometown is flashy or not, you will have the unique chance to learn deeply about them and a new place. On the flip side, I hope you jump at the chance to have a friend follow you, and reciprocate the experience of shared exploration.
Mia Arruda is a sophomore from California majoring in Landscape Architecture. One of her favorite travel destinations is Budapest, Hungary because of its unique beauty and fascinating history.
