Professor Schmidt took time out of his busy schedule to sit down and discuss the differences in people’s lives based on where they live. While he mainly focuses on urban city planning, he knew a great deal about the effects of an environment on a person’s habits. I am from New Jersey and consider my hometown to lean more towards a suburban classification. I spoke with the group about the relative sizes of the properties/houses, distance to shopping centers, and diversity in the town. Professor Schmidt and I had a nice conversation about the high diversity rate in New Jersey as he had first hand experience from his time at Rutgers University. I believe that some of my habits would be different if I lived in a different location. For example, at home I need a car to drive to all places that are too far to walk to. However, at Cornell I am able to walk to all of my classes and do not see the need for a car except in certain exceptions. Additionally, at home my meals are more repetitive than at Cornell. At home I will eat a sandwich or a salad most days for lunch as it is quick and easy to make. However, at Cornell I go to a dining hall where there are many options that vary greatly every week. It was very interesting to hear about other’s perspectives of their hometowns. I am definitely considering taking an introduction to urban planning class in the future and I recommend that every sit down and have a talk with someone in the field as it is very stimulating!