Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s no secret—my brother and I have had an exciting dual citizen athletic journey. We’ve been lucky to chase the rewards of intense training while getting to travel the world. Between his rowing and my swimming, we’ve grown side by side through every chapter.

In just the past two years, we’ve gone from the World Rowing Championships in Paris to layovers in Rome, Venice, and Florence, to Ontario, Canada, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the South American Games in Buenos Aires—not to mention countless cities across Bolivia. We’ve done it all together, thanks to the flexibility of virtual school and parents who work from home.

The cultures, cities rich with history, the architectural sights, the food, the music, the friendships—the family time together has taken us through more than just miles.

It’s etched a lifetime into us—but it’s the simplest of sights, the shared moments, and the snapshots in between that stay with me the most.