I like vacation because I get to do things
with my family. I love spending quality time with my family. It is time to
catch up with one another and do more things together.
I went on a two-week trip with my family. The
first week we went to different colleges for my brother. I liked going on the
tours. Our first stop was Pittsburgh. We saw two schools. The first was Pitt. I
liked the tall tower that marked the campus. You could see it from far away. I liked
how the rooms in the tower represented different countries. Pitt blended into
the city. The students were friendly.
Driving into Pittsburgh
Right next to Pitt was Carnegie Mellon. It is
more for students who have a strong passion for what they want to study. My
brother does not yet know what he wants to study. I learned Andrew Carnegie,
the steel giant of the Industrial Revolution, was the founder of the school. He
merged the school with the Mellon Institute. Philanthropy was important to Carnegie.
He wanted to give back. Making a university was his way of doing good.
Walking around CMU
Pittsburgh was very hilly. My dad got us lost
in the hills looking for a Mexican restaurant. Sometimes there were narrow
roads on a steep hill. We finally found a cool hipster taco place. It was fun.
Finally the tacos!
We went to Penn State on the fourth of July. Everything
was closed. The campus was big and pretty. It is a big football school. Then we
went to Bucknell, Lehigh, and Villanova. They were also closed. We arrived in Philadelphia
in time for the fireworks. I liked that we were in the city where the
Declaration of Independence was signed. I looked for the place it was signed as
we drove in. Philadelphia is one of my favorite cities because of its place in American
history.
A quick stroll around Penn State and Lehigh
Philadelphia
We went to Penn's landing to see the
fireworks. It was crowded. We met a man in a wheelchair. He was cool. I wish I
talked to him. My mom introduced us but did not bring my letterboard. My mom
learned he was part of ADAPT and protested the health care bill in Washington
DC. I listened to his stories. He said to enjoy life everyday because it can be
taken anytime.
Making a friend at Penn's Landing while waiting for fireworks
The fireworks came suddenly. I hate the sound
because it startles me badly. It is like being shot. Even though I know I am
not in danger, I can’t help but freak out and try to escape. This happened
again. I had to get further away. I didn’t want my family to miss out on the
fireworks so I tried hard to endure the fireworks. I became more used to the
sound after awhile. The fireworks dazzled my sight. They were beautiful. When
they were done I longed to see more. I was overjoyed to have had the time to
celebrate with my family. I think Washington DC might be the place to go
for next year.
Watching the fireworks further back on the bridge
The following day we took a tour of Temple
University. It is in Philadelphia. Our tour guide Jay was funny. I thought it
was a very cool school. Philadelphia is a good place to visit because my friend
Tommy lives there too. After visiting Temple we had pizza with Tommy and his
family. Then it was time to go to Virginia.
I will write about Virginia in the next installment
of this blog post.
Copyright 2017 Philip Reyes. All rights reserved.
Touring Temple
Carlos with the Temple Owl
Copyright 2017 Philip Reyes. All rights reserved.
