1. Philosophy I think it’s good to be realistic, in between a pessimist and optimist.

2. First Stop: Detroit

3. Detroit used to be an industrial center, with Chrysler and Ford headquarters there. • Pyromaniacs set fire to many buildings, Michigan has mostly given up on trying to find a solution to the problem. The condition of the city has gone too far down to save. • None of the city residents try to make things better either, other than for one couple that renovated the husband’s great-grandfather’s home.

4. Not the right place: Detroit doesn’t fit my philosophy. It represents the too negative way of thinking. I believe in being in the middle, where I can look at the bad and accept it, or change it if I can, but at the same time have hope and desire for better. In Detroit, everyone has given up. They keep destroying what little is left, and have no hope of the future. The people can see that the city is run-down, but do nothing to help it, other than one couple out of the thousands that decided to renovate their home. They are the example that something can be made better with effort, but everyone else is so negative and unmotivated, that their situation continues to get worse.

5. Second Stop: Soviet Union

6. People were naïve and all were in favor of communism, this is seen in the picture, where everyone demonstrated their support. It was a mass cultural support, and Karl Marx was viewed as a great person. • Officially no unemployment, but a million were out of a job. • Propaganda: “We were always so proud of our motherland, that we had the best of everything. We ended up with the worst of everything in the end, not needed by anybody. That's what I'm ashamed of. I don't even want to look back at my life. Because they led us, yes, they led me. They said turn left and I turned left. They said to the right, I turned right. I practically didn't have my own brain. If I let out a thought, I was afraid that I would be punished for that thought.” –Tatiana Vorontsova

7. Not the right place: The Soviet Union represents being overly optimistic because it was only theoretically perfect. However, many held onto the belief that communism was the answer to their problems, and that everything would work out smoothly. In fact it never even reached full communism, but remained as socialist, because in reality it can’t work. Being too positive is just as foolish as being too much of a pessimist. It also causes a person to stand by and wait for something that’s not going to happen. Most of the citizens were being deceived by the great lies the leaders told them. If they did notice something wrong, they remained optimistic and expected the government to solve the issue. This is why this isn’t quite the right place for me, even though it’s a complete opposite of Detroit, because doesn’t exhibit practicality.

8. Final Destination: NYC

9. Eventful history: from starting out as a trading post, to the Revolutionary War, a manufacturing center, to what it is now. • Has good and bad sections, such as poor neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but Lower Manhattan is nice. • New York City is in the top 50 most visited tourist attractions.

10. The right place: I consider New York City as the right place to represent my philosophy. It’s very realistic. It has the good and bad parts of it, but if a person tries hard enough they can get out of the neighborhood that they’re not happy with, and never have to cross paths with it again. The city has experienced a lot, yet always get back up on it’s feet, without giving up or expecting things to change themselves. It’s still a popular tourist place because it is full of points of interest, life, and other attractions that make NYC what it is. Most of the buildings are very practical, and show that they don’t have to be intricate or fascinating to be appealing. It’s my final destination because the city itself has been through great and terrible events, so anyone who lives there can expect anything. They see their city isn’t flawless, but learn to accept that and appreciate what it does have to offer.