>>>>Everything was exactly the same way it was when I left ten years ago. The steep black steps, the white marble tiles lined along the walls, and the musty smell of the building were all too familiar. My heart pounded faster with each step I took. As I pressed against the tainted doorbell, a rush of emotions and memories flooded my mind with flashbacks of visits to my grandparents for holidays and weekends in Korea. Standing in front of the large green metal door, I felt like the seven year old anxiously waiting for my favorite cousin Jisun to start playing inside the house. When the door opened, I could not help but think I was in the wrong place.
>>>>> I felt like Alice from Alice in Wonderland; I had grown too much. Ten years ago, the house was big enough for me and Jisun to chase each other and to play hide and seek. Looking around the house, I recognized the same red-orange marble floors, the wooden white cabinets, and the same oval kitchen table, however, there seemed to be a significant change in the size of the house. The house that appeared to be a mansion turned into a dainty apartment after ten years. Soon enough, questions started pouring into my mind asking how this transformation could have occurred. I knew the house did not change at all; the change had to be somewhere else, somewhere within me.
>>>>>The innocent child who thought the house as a playground was no longer there. The child who thought the world was a magical place filled with magic carpets, power rangers, and happy endings did not exist anymore. My perspective of the world around me had changed significantly throughout the years. I learned the world was not always a place of peace and tranquility. My eyes saw the unyielding nature of the world where crime, injustice, and poverty existed. Sighting the corruptions of this world, I knew my life was not going to be a picture perfect story. Whether they were going to be painstakingly difficult obstacles or chances and opportunities for me to succeed, my future was uncertain. Rather than always being doubtful about my future, I had to become proactive.
>>>>>> I discovered the only way to make my own happy ending was to create one for myself. The world was not going to offer me a straight path to my destination, so I began to find my way of getting through the obstacles. Learning to become independent and responsible, I was able to manage any hurdles thrown at my path. I grew optimistic and hopeful for my future goals and aspirations. With the numerous chances and opportunities the world had to offer me, I was able to motivate myself over and over again by focusing on what was ahead of me. Even though I was startled at my altered perception when I first stepped into the house, I came to acknowledge that this was a necessary maturation of my intellect to flourish in this world.
>>>>> I felt like Alice from Alice in Wonderland; I had grown too much. Ten years ago, the house was big enough for me and Jisun to chase each other and to play hide and seek. Looking around the house, I recognized the same red-orange marble floors, the wooden white cabinets, and the same oval kitchen table, however, there seemed to be a significant change in the size of the house. The house that appeared to be a mansion turned into a dainty apartment after ten years. Soon enough, questions started pouring into my mind asking how this transformation could have occurred. I knew the house did not change at all; the change had to be somewhere else, somewhere within me.
>>>>>The innocent child who thought the house as a playground was no longer there. The child who thought the world was a magical place filled with magic carpets, power rangers, and happy endings did not exist anymore. My perspective of the world around me had changed significantly throughout the years. I learned the world was not always a place of peace and tranquility. My eyes saw the unyielding nature of the world where crime, injustice, and poverty existed. Sighting the corruptions of this world, I knew my life was not going to be a picture perfect story. Whether they were going to be painstakingly difficult obstacles or chances and opportunities for me to succeed, my future was uncertain. Rather than always being doubtful about my future, I had to become proactive.
>>>>>> I discovered the only way to make my own happy ending was to create one for myself. The world was not going to offer me a straight path to my destination, so I began to find my way of getting through the obstacles. Learning to become independent and responsible, I was able to manage any hurdles thrown at my path. I grew optimistic and hopeful for my future goals and aspirations. With the numerous chances and opportunities the world had to offer me, I was able to motivate myself over and over again by focusing on what was ahead of me. Even though I was startled at my altered perception when I first stepped into the house, I came to acknowledge that this was a necessary maturation of my intellect to flourish in this world.
