Write about a time you were out of your comfort zone and how it changed you
Be as critical as you like!
I was sitting on my couch anxiously waiting on a call back from my representative to see if I was accepted to go on a missions trip to Romania the summer of my junior year. Hours had passed and I still had not gotten a call from my representative then, after about four hours of waiting, He called. he told me that i was accepted! He also said that I could go check who else is going on the trips Facebook page. I went on the page and noticed that there were 123 teenagers my age going, I also noticed that I was the only African American teenager. For about a month I thought to myself "I am not going to feel comfortable" or "this is going to be a lonely summer." After about $4,000 of fundraising I decided I was going to take a chance on something new. The day finally came I had to leave my home, friends, and definitely my comfort zone.
After a 5 hour plane ride to Texas, for training, I was greeted by 123 teens, who I thought were weird at the time, they carried my bags and got to know me. Further into the trip, I remembered watching them interact with each other just like I do with my friends. I soon realized that just because we were born different races does not mean I should refrain from making relationships with them. While I was still distant from everyone, i felt my heart "opening up" to them. I made a promise to myself which was to make relationships with every single one of my teammates. Everyday I became more and more apart of the team, but i always thought in the back of my mind "they'd never accept me, we aren't the same" which slowly faded away as I made new friends. One night, I had a long conversation about judging people with a team member, who today is my best friend. He told me "you shouldn't judge or have preconceived notions about someone because sometimes you aren't right." This really made me feel guilty for thinking we could get along just because we were a different race. As I got to know everyone one-by-one I noticed that some of them are exactly like me! We had the similar interest, hobbies, taste in music. Everything was going great, but my promise still wasn't fulfilled. I wanted to get to know the rest of the team members and I had to do it quick because I only had two weeks left. As the weeks past, Everyone on that team became like family to me. We ate, read, and even prayed together! I soon found myself making unexpected bonds with people that today are the best friendships I have.
This experience changed me and many ways. One way is that now I do not see people as a race, I view them as a person, a human being, just like me. I have learned that I do not have to follow the trends of my neighborhood by not letting people into my life they are different from me. Hopefully, by sharing this story with my peers I could start a new trend, everyone loves everyone. Instead of everyone loves everyone, who has the same ethic background as you.
Be as critical as you like!
I was sitting on my couch anxiously waiting on a call back from my representative to see if I was accepted to go on a missions trip to Romania the summer of my junior year. Hours had passed and I still had not gotten a call from my representative then, after about four hours of waiting, He called. he told me that i was accepted! He also said that I could go check who else is going on the trips Facebook page. I went on the page and noticed that there were 123 teenagers my age going, I also noticed that I was the only African American teenager. For about a month I thought to myself "I am not going to feel comfortable" or "this is going to be a lonely summer." After about $4,000 of fundraising I decided I was going to take a chance on something new. The day finally came I had to leave my home, friends, and definitely my comfort zone.
After a 5 hour plane ride to Texas, for training, I was greeted by 123 teens, who I thought were weird at the time, they carried my bags and got to know me. Further into the trip, I remembered watching them interact with each other just like I do with my friends. I soon realized that just because we were born different races does not mean I should refrain from making relationships with them. While I was still distant from everyone, i felt my heart "opening up" to them. I made a promise to myself which was to make relationships with every single one of my teammates. Everyday I became more and more apart of the team, but i always thought in the back of my mind "they'd never accept me, we aren't the same" which slowly faded away as I made new friends. One night, I had a long conversation about judging people with a team member, who today is my best friend. He told me "you shouldn't judge or have preconceived notions about someone because sometimes you aren't right." This really made me feel guilty for thinking we could get along just because we were a different race. As I got to know everyone one-by-one I noticed that some of them are exactly like me! We had the similar interest, hobbies, taste in music. Everything was going great, but my promise still wasn't fulfilled. I wanted to get to know the rest of the team members and I had to do it quick because I only had two weeks left. As the weeks past, Everyone on that team became like family to me. We ate, read, and even prayed together! I soon found myself making unexpected bonds with people that today are the best friendships I have.
This experience changed me and many ways. One way is that now I do not see people as a race, I view them as a person, a human being, just like me. I have learned that I do not have to follow the trends of my neighborhood by not letting people into my life they are different from me. Hopefully, by sharing this story with my peers I could start a new trend, everyone loves everyone. Instead of everyone loves everyone, who has the same ethic background as you.
