My boyfriend and I are from different states – him from Pennsylvania and me from Ohio. We met at school and had not seen each other’s hometowns until six months of dating. Since I was going to have to stay at school for Easter, his parents invited me to Pittsburgh to stay with them and celebrate the holiday. I had only met his parents a handful of times prior, so the thought of spending several nights living with them terrified me. I was worried that the more time I spent with them, the more opportunities there would be for them to find reasons to dislike me. However, I ended up having one of the best long weekends I can remember.

I thought it would be strange being in their home – intruding in their lives… but it wasn’t strange at all. It felt normal. It felt comfortable. It felt like home.

Pittsburgh is a beautiful city, I had such a misconstrued idea of what it was like. I expected it to be dirty and crowded and slightly scary because of my experience with Cincinnati. However, Pittsburgh was quite the opposite. We had dinner downtown with his high school friends and hung out at the University of Pittsburgh. It was a night for the books – simple but memorable.

On Easter Sunday, I was given the pleasure of meeting the family from his mom’s side. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and friendly and acted like I belonged there, not like I was this new person that needed to be babysat, entertained, and occupied at all times.

Throughout the course of our relationship, I was worried where my boyfriend and I’s relationship would go after graduation. He’s a home-body and loves Pittsburgh, while I had in my mind that there was absolutely no way I could ever see myself living there if we were to stay together and continue life together. This trip was so eye-opening as I fell in love with Pittsburgh and the hills and my life all over again.

This long weekend in Pittsburgh with my amazing boyfriend was unforgettable and taught me so much about myself, my boyfriend, and our relationship. I could not have asked for a better way to spend Easter than with my boyfriend and his wonderful family and friends.