Located on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, Kisimul Castle was once home to the MacNeils of Barra. My family visited the castle during a summer trip to Scotland. I was surprised when I was told that we’d be going to see our family’s castle. It had never crossed my mind that my family may have had one at one point, even with how prevalent they are in Scotland.

When we arrived, I was more than a little disappointed to see nothing more than a small stone structure sitting in the water. As it turns out, the location was carefully planned. The castle is only accessible during low tide. During high tide, the water rises too high up to disembark safely. The next day, we toured the inside and found that it looks far nicer on the inside than the outside.

Upon passing through the gate, you’re greeted by a small grassy courtyard leading to two small single family homes intended for servants and one large house where the MacNeils once lived. A fourth large building acts as a dining hall. Inside the walls, it feels much larger than it looks from the outside. The courtyard makes it feel cozy and almost seem like a small neighborhood.

Eventually, we discovered that the MacNeils of Barra are from a different clan than us. Regardless, Kisimul Castle was an unexpectedly nice stop on our trip through the Outer Hebrides.

Aside from being a fast food burger joint, Whataburger, the one off of Stacy Rd in Allen, TX to be exact, is a place where I have a lot of memories from my High School experience. I, and many other students would come to this Whataburger after football games and the line would be so long they had to hire security specifically for after home games and the line would normally be out the door. Along with post football game Whataburger trips were post party and Senior year lunch trips. This was a place to hangout with friends, sometimes even if I wasn’t eating. Whataburger as a chain was a gift to the taste buds of society, and this Whataburger as a structure was a gift to my high school experience.

This building is the church that I went to growing up. Being raised in a Christian home, I spent a lot of time at church and made a lot of friends there. This particular Church building is important to me as when we first started going to the church it was being taught out of a middle school auditorium, and it grew to the point where they could fund a building for the congregation and I was able to see that process take place. I think that one’s church, or building from one’s religion of choice is a place that everyone views in a positive light, and for me this was a place of happiness and an escape from everything that was going on in life at the time.

Headington Hall was where I lived my freshman year here at OU. This was the first time I lived alone in my life and was able to experience the freedom that college brings. The memories that were made here are ones that I will never forget. Between making friends, studying, and the occasional alcoholic beverage, Headington is a place of positivity in my memories and will be forever. My favorite encounter of this building was a time where I was eating in the Headington food hall and was asked by a random person if they could eat with me. I said yes, we ate and talked for a half hour or so, it wasn’t until after he left that I realized it was Samaje Perine.

This is the Empire State Building in New York City and I visited it when I was younger.  This building is huge and if you ever have been to the top the view is astounding.  When you get to the top you can see all New York.  When I went when I was younger, I was so high up that I was scared.  It was my first time being in a building that tall, so I was shaking and holding on to my mother at first.  Eventually I calmed down and could finally take in a enjoy the beautiful views that it offers.  I would definitely go again and would recommend anyone else in going.