Culture of One

I was born on September 2, 1997 in Sacramento, California to my parents Michael Savage and Tricia Savage. My family moved to Oregon when I was only a few months old and then Spokane when I turned two. I have an older brother named Andrew (21) and a younger sister named Nicole (13), both of whom I am really close to. My siblings and I share a unique kind of relationship; we rarely fight and hang out as often as we can. Most siblings can't stand being in the same room with one another for more than a couple of hours, yet my siblings and I can sleep in our basement together for numerous nights without getting annoyed or bored with each other. Growing up, I was always close to my brother; he is only two years older than me, so I basically had a "built-in best friend", as my mom constantly says. My sister on the other hand…we did not get along. I was the baby of the family until she came along and "ruined" it. I was only 5 (turning 6) when she was born, and boy, was I unhappy. She stayed in my room with me until she was about 6, and I was so glad when she moved into my brother's old room. It wasn't until my brother went into college three years ago and moved into a dorm that my sister and I truly started getting along. Nowadays I'm grateful to be the middle child because I get to look up to my brother, but also get to be a role model for my sister, and I get the bonus of having two best friends for life.

On the topic of best friends, I have quite a few, which bothers some people because apparently it's a rule that you can only have one best friend, which is stupid. It's impossible to pick just one person as a best friend considering I have a lot of amazing friends that I really love. One of my best friends, Delaney, I have known since 4th grade, adding up to 10 years of friendship, which is a really long time. She attends Rocky Mountain College in Montana, but we talk every single day and always hang out when she's back in town. Another one of my best friend's is my brother's girlfriend, Kait. Kait is one of my favorite people because she's always so bubbly, funny, and willing to help anyone. She was probably the main reason I got my first (and so far only) job at Fairwinds Retirement Community where she works. I've known Kait for 6 years and we've become so close that she's basically another sister to me. Whenever I am at work and a resident asks about me, Kait always tells them that I am her little sister, which makes me smile. If I had to pick one best friend, I would pick my friend Trace. Trace is the same age as my brother and went to high school with us, but we didn't talk much until last summer when our friend Sarah invited a group of people over to her house to hang out. We hit it off instantly. Throughout the summer, Trace, Kait, and I would play Pokemon Go on Whitworth's campus and then go over to Applebee's to get some dinner or dessert. As time passed on, Trace and I became closer and I can't really see us not being friends in the future. I've never met someone who is so kind; whenever I have a bad day, Trace shows up at my house with ice cream and gives me a hug. Without my friends, I would be nothing; they've all taught me different lessons in life and I'm glad I can call so many of them "the best".