Personal Narrative Essay: My Trip To Stony Brook

Twelve hours and thirty-two minutes. 805 miles. One flat tire. That’s how long it took us to drive to the Big Apple from small town Georgia. Of course, that doesn’t even factor in the stops we had to make when someone’s stomach growled or they couldn’t hold their bladder any longer. By the time the three of us made it to our hotel, my mom, my older sister Brittany, and I were exhausted. Exploration of this massive concrete jungle would have to wait until another day. The purpose of our trip was to attend my freshmen orientation at Stony Brook University on Long Island, but we decided to explore New York City while we were there since it was our first time in the city that never sleeps. After my day long orientation at Stony Brook, we ventured around the area I would call home in a few short months. Stony Brook, a hamlet in the town of Brookhaven, had a small town feel even though it was in Suburbia, USA and a little over an hour from the most populous city in America. Even though I had never been to Stony Brook before, I had decided that it was where I wanted to go simply based on pictures, reviews, and my own research. In fact, it was the only college that I applied to. I wanted to be close to the hustle and bustle of big city life while not being completely overwhelmed by the transition from my small town. I

I’ve always loved historical locations, but Ellis Island represented the rich history of our country of immigrants. Imagining people from all over the world coming here and seeing the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom and hope is enough to make anyone feel small. The long lines and ferry ride made the sunset view of Lady Liberty worth it. No matter how much we may have gotten on each other’s nerves and how much Brittany would complain about the crowds and smells, the massiveness and excitement of the city seemed to stop us in our tracks at every