a subject of personal importance
As a naturally inquisitive teenager, I constantly crave new experiences. Therefore, I was ecstatic when I got selected as a delegate in a year-long exchange program to Italy. Apart from meeting diverse people and gaining a new perspective on the world, there were some fair share of challenging moments.
At first, I struggled to keep up at school due to the different education system combined with culture shock and language barrier. Feeling a bit discouraged everytime I did not understand a mathematical solution to a problem. Two weeks into school, the teacher arranged an oral test on the first chapter which was ellipses and hyperbolas. I worked furiously the subsequent days, spending hours translating the terms and recruiting help from any source available. The exam date then came and I passed the test with flying colors, meeting praises from both my peers and the teachers for analytical insights and ability to adapt.
Similarly, I was presented with the opportunity to address some preconceived ideas as well as introduce my own culture by doing a presentation in the community center. At the time, I was not fluent in Italian. In fact, I found myself mispronouncing a couple of words and feeling embarrassed because of it. However, as I stand in front of the crowd, flashcards clutched in hand, I felt inspired by my own speech. People listened enthusiastically and I was then greeted with thundering applause.
A year-long journey of personal growth helped me to step out of my comfort zone gaining both maturity and independence. The experience reminds me that it is never about failure and to embrace improvement instead of aiming for perfection. Those failures will make you doubt yourself and even though you can not make those doubts disappear, you can choose how to react to it. In my case, I chose to stand back up each time life knocks me down.
any thoughts would be very much appreciated :)
