Traveling With Your Brother

By Ethan Christ

My brother and I have been going to the same schools our entire lives, just 2 years apart. We both ended up at KU, and I thought this might finally be our chance to take a class together. Alas, I arrived on the day I was enrolling for my senior year second semester classes, and we still had not been able to take a class together. As I was trying to decide what to take my final semester, I realized there was one class that Austin and I could take together: The London Review. I quickly called him and exclaimed that he absolutely must take the class so we could have a class together before I graduated, and he enrolled! This was my first time ever taking a trip with just Austin from my family. Usually at least my mom or dad was along. Austin and I enjoy many of the same things about traveling such as going to museums, famous landmarks, and sampling local cuisines so I was confident we would have a good time together. I am more of an early riser and Austin is more of a night owl, so there were a few times where our paths would diverge at night or in the morning, but then we would also meet back up together in the afternoon. There were a few times we would get frustrated with each other of course (as all brothers do) but we were good at voicing our issues and resolving them quickly, such as when Austin asked me to stop playing British rap music in the morning while he was sleeping and I was getting ready. I could not be happier with the trip and I am forever grateful that we got to take this class together, I will never forget it!

By Austin Christ

Ethan and I have always been extremely close as brothers. In the past few years, both of us have had the pleasure of traveling around the world, from Mexico to Europe to Tanzania, yet we had never traveled like this together. When Ethan first told me about the London Review, I knew we had to go. Not only would it be the perfect opportunity to visit another country together, but also a unique experience that we could enjoy as brothers before Ethan graduates. The future is never certain, and so I saw the London Review as an opportunity to experience a week of quality time with Ethan before he moves on to greater things in life.

The trip did not disappoint in this regard. Naturally, we elected to be roommates on this trip. Having lived under the same roof for sixteen years, it was almost nostalgic to be sharing a room with him again. Granted, it became annoying at times, such as when Ethan would blast Ed Sheeran and British rap music during his morning shower, but it was well worth it. Throughout the week, we got to travel the city and explore its most famous landmarks together as brothers, all the while enjoying each other’s company. Even putting aside the remarkable cultural experience that was the London Review, this trip commemorated our relationship as brothers in many ways, and was an experience that we will continue to bond over for the rest of our lives.

Camden Baxter is a junior economics major from Wichita, Kansas. A lifelong KU fan, among his earliest memories is going to bed crying with two minutes left in the 2008 National Championship game because the outlook was so dire for his beloved Jayhawks. He is yet to forgive himself for missing the fabled comeback & overtime victory. Outside school and work, Camden enjoys watching sports, working out, and obsessively reading various periodicals, especially the Wall Street Journal. He is not sure what he wants to do with his life, but felt as though this trip abroad, his very first, exposed him to program alumni doing a variety of different things and will inform his future decisions. Should worst comes to worst, he will probably just ask Mary to put in a good word to one of her forty-odd thousand former students doing incredible things.

NEXT STOP: A CANTERBURY TALE