Im not sure if this essay is appropriate or if it makes a bad impression
I was never much of a believer before this, more importantly, not even much of a person. I used to absolutely hate being around people other than my very select few group of friends. I was that kid who only wanted to be locked up in his room alone, isolated to his own thoughts. I was terrified of people and their opinions; judgment has always been my mortal enemy. Though, against my wishes, my mother had signed me up for some sort of church retreat; her answer is always church. I dreaded the idea that I would be stuck with a bunch of strangers for a week, especially being forced to discuss the ideologies of Christianity, but I decided that I would appease my mother to save myself from argument.
I packed lightly, not sure of what exactly happens at these things. I had adrenaline running through veins even before we left, most likely from the anticipation of the fear to come. We drove far into the mountains, to the point where our ears popped; I closed my eyes, trying to envision exactly how the week would be, only to run into hypothetical dead ends. The pull in was the most horrifying part, opening my eyes and seeing hundreds of faces outside the window. Fear seized me and I sought comfort in my friends, but to no avail, they were too excited to notice my insecurity. As we walked out to check in, I felt like all these strangers were mugging me; in my head it was like they were targeting me. Despite how I felt, we got settled and sorted into our arbitrary groups. The first meeting was awkward, with group leaders asking miscellaneous questions, trying to force the ice to break. I wanted to seclude myself, but somewhere down the road I had joined the in-depth conversation of who the best character on "Lord of the Rings" was. At that point, I had realized that there was no turning back, but at the same time discovered that people were not wild animals that were out to get me. Quickly after that night, I had gone on a frenzy to meet every person on that mountain; it had turned into a natural high. With each new person I met, a little bit of my anxiety went away. Gradually, those scary strangers became my family and I was not afraid to express myself in front of them. That new comfortable atmosphere allowed me to actually concentrate on what we were all there for, and I ended up enjoying those intense sermons about love and fellowship. Nothing had felt better than to be truly apart of something, particularly because I had not felt it often.
Saying goodbye was not easy, especially when I had just found this new feeling, but the good had to end. Upon getting into our own vans, I spent time in serious self introspection. I realized that I had been inhibiting myself from great experiences, not to mention new friendships. I thought myself foolish for being earnestly scared of other human beings. More than anything, I had discovered that I did not need to force myself to be anything that I am not. From my behavior in camp, I learned that I had the potential to be more than cordial and the ability to actually make relationships. Amazingly, my radical transformation started with a simple discussion on a totally random topic, which is a testament to me that I can be more open to other people as well as myself.
this is a great essay, but im kinda confused. this is for prompt one? you answered the part about the world that you come from, but the second part that asks for how it has shaped your dreams and aspirations was not mentioned at all. maybe you can somehow incorporate into your essay.
