As I concluded my first week, Saturday’s visit to Millvale felt less like exploring a neighborhood and more like stepping into history. Inside St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, the murals that stood out to me were the ones centered on families and the weight they carried. The Croatian mother raising her son for war stuck with me the most. There was something about the mother-son relationship that made me think about how easily that could have been me if I had been born in a different time period. The immigrant mother mural carried the same weight, showing the exhaustion and determination that come with trying to build a life from nothing. Christ on the Battlefield added another layer, showing how war destroys people who never asked to be part of it. And Injustice, with its gas‑masked nun and unbalanced scales, made it clear how authority fails long before individuals do. Together, these murals represent a story about sacrifice, fear, and the strength communities need to survive moments that define them.

What surprised me most this weekend wasn’t just the art, but how much I’m already changing. On Sunday, I ended up getting my ears pierced on the most spontaneous decision. Which, in hindsight, was probably not the best idea to do on a whim. If you told me a week ago that I’d be walking around Pittsburgh with ear piercings, I would have never believed you. But away from home, making new friends, and exploring life has made me even more open to trying things I never imagined myself doing. I’m starting to love college life in a way I didn’t expect. Every day feels like a mix of learning, growing, and doing something slightly crazy that somehow seems fun in the moment.

Millvale showed me how a small place can build a huge identity by telling honest stories about who its people were and what they endured. And in a weird way, I think I’m doing the same thing right now, collecting moments, taking risks, and slowly building my own identity one unexpected experience at a time.