On the morning of my birthday, I decided to pursue a very meaningful trip down the trail of Cascadilla Gorge. It’s a wonderful way to start the first day of being 19. Energized by the fresh air in the morning, I was ready for the whole trip.

Standing on the sidewalk gazing at the bridge connecting central campus to college town, we compared the past and present of Cornell. There was no engineering building back when the trail was being renovated, and the waterfall was more significant. We looked at the project brochure for building this trail. I had to say I was in awe.

During the time, it didn’t make sense to the directors why they would invest millions of dollars into rebuilding this trail that already existed. However, this project was initiated and pitched as beneficial to the whole Cornell community as a safer way to experience nature and appreciate the beauty of Ithaca. I could really relate to this, and I couldn’t imagine what would the campus be without such trail. It would definitely be different.

Cornell is awesome and Ithaca is gorgeous. The two complements each other perfectly. The natural beauty during fall makes me miss my hometown, Shenyang, a beautify city in northeast China. We have golden maple leaves falling from the trees, and I am almost certain I saw the same squirrel grabbing a nut that tightly. We have freezing winters and knee-deep snow just like Ithaca. To me, here is home. Home is never complete without its natural beauty,