During my education career, I had to leave my school of Thiel College for a year and spend time in Pittsburgh at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I was a part of a 3-1 program (three years working towards a Bachelor's in Business Administration and one year working towards a certificate in The Art of Cooking).
I grew up in the same small town my entire life and I went to an even smaller town to go to a small school. Living in the city for a year? What was I thinking? my very first day there was overwhelming as I moved my stuff and got myself together. I would be starting class in a few days and had orientation the next day. A lot had changed and I wasn't sure how I felt about it at the time. Now having complete my year and being back at Thiel, I find myself missing it sometimes. I certainly learned a great deal while I was there.
I learned that there is always something to do. There is some form of event that happens every now and then whether it be a game (I lived right by PNC Park and Heinz Field), a show (I lived by four theater centers), a race (Pittsburgh marathon was a big one), or miscellaneous (Art fairs, for example).
The downside to there always being an event though, parking is horrendous and roads are shut down. Have somewhere to be? You better find an alternate route and plan accordingly. There was a day where I was away in South Side for the day and couldn't go back to my place until the day was done because I lived on a main road that happened to be shut down and I couldn't put my car back into the garage.
I learned never to hesitate when crossing the road. Cars are going to be all over the place and when you have a walk sign, you walk, because you will miss your chance if you don't.
I learned there is always a place to explore. I would take my bike or go for a run to just about anywhere. There was always new ground to wander and I would always enjoy what I would find.
I may never choose to live in the city for the rest of my life, but experiencing it for a year was certainly an experience I would always remember. I would say everyone should try out the city life at least once in there life. It's different, it's surreal, and it's a great time.
