Jeff Grimes

Until six months ago, Dallas Texas was my favorite city in the United States. Many people question me after I make that statement, asking why not New York or Boston or another big name, and I would usually respond with, "I don't know, there's just something about it." However, as I have now lived in another city for the first time in my life for the last six months, I have come to a realization: what makes a city special to me has nothing to do with its location, size, or urbanization. It has everything to do with the relationships I have with the people there. I love Dallas so much because I envision the skyline while I am sitting in the back seat of my dad's truck next to my sisters.

I can say now that Athens, GA, is just as high as Dallas on my list of favorite cities because when I envision the town of Athens, I do not see buildings, scoreboards, or certificates. I see faces.

The picture I chose for my profile is the day my parents moved me into my dorm and left me at college. It is rare for me to be able to look back on a moment where I changed, but when looking at this picture, it is what I feel. After this picture was taken at breakfast, my parents dropped me off at my dorm and went back to Dallas, just hours before I started meeting the faces that make Athens the city it is to me today.