Prompt: use a quote from a book you've read and us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world.
"Never pass up new experiences, [Scarlett]. They enrich the mind."
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Our lives are full of experiences, big and small, that we can either pass up or capitalize on. My first big experience occurred to me as an eight year old when my parents left me at my grandparents' house for my summer vacation before the fourth grade. Any other child would have been excited to visit his or her grandparents and be spoiled by them, but I was the exception. I would have been except for the fact that I was staying with them for two months in Mexico, which was very different from where I lived. The only other time I had gone to Mexico was when I was two, which I could not remember. Therefore, my second visit was more like a first.
Living in New Jersey my whole life, I was used to going to the nearest grocery store and buying packaged foods or getting in a car to go just about anywhere. In my grandparents small town everyone always made their meals from fresh groceries and rode horses to work in the fields. It was a big culture shock for me and things only got more interesting the longer I resided there. The men got up early, five in the morning, to milk the cows and feed the other animals on the farm. The women started breakfast for when the men returned from their work. After I became familiar with the town, which only took a few days because it was so small, I was sent on errands to get the groceries and tortilla dough at the mill that would be used for lunch and dinner.
After a while, I got used to the routine and different way of life, but occasionally I would get a small surprise. My mother had cooked traditional Mexican food, such as mole and enchiladas, but for the most part, she cooked American food. When my grandmother introduced me to menudo, I was definitely taken aback. Menudo consisted of pancita, or tripe, and pig's feet. Yum, right? I am sure you could understand my apprehension, especially as an eight-year old. My mother had obviously taught me manners and not wanting to offend my grandmother, I tentatively lifted a spoonful to my mouth.
Now would be the time where I say that despite my reservations I actually enjoyed it, but that would be a lie. The pancita had a slimy, spongy texture and the pig's feet - well, I don't even want to think about it. Once I tried that, I figured I could try almost anything - almost. Through out my stay in Mexico I took advantage of the many experiences that were set in front of me. I tried the different fare that was offered, no matter the contents, and I even learned how to milk a cow.
I now watch the travel channel and observe as Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain go to remote places around the world and partake in the most bizarre customs a culture may have to offer. What I have started to learn since my vacation is that allowing ourselves new encounters with the world helps us broaden our minds and become more accepting of what we do not know. In addition to that, I hope someday to be open-minded enough to travel and experience different cultures just as Zimmern and Bourdain do.
If it says about 500 words does that mean minimum or maximum?
It is now 557 words without the quote
"Never pass up new experiences, [Scarlett]. They enrich the mind."
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Our lives are full of experiences, big and small, that we can either pass up or capitalize on. My first big experience occurred to me as an eight year old when my parents left me at my grandparents' house for my summer vacation before the fourth grade. Any other child would have been excited to visit his or her grandparents and be spoiled by them, but I was the exception. I would have been except for the fact that I was staying with them for two months in Mexico, which was very different from where I lived. The only other time I had gone to Mexico was when I was two, which I could not remember. Therefore, my second visit was more like a first.
Living in New Jersey my whole life, I was used to going to the nearest grocery store and buying packaged foods or getting in a car to go just about anywhere. In my grandparents small town everyone always made their meals from fresh groceries and rode horses to work in the fields. It was a big culture shock for me and things only got more interesting the longer I resided there. The men got up early, five in the morning, to milk the cows and feed the other animals on the farm. The women started breakfast for when the men returned from their work. After I became familiar with the town, which only took a few days because it was so small, I was sent on errands to get the groceries and tortilla dough at the mill that would be used for lunch and dinner.
After a while, I got used to the routine and different way of life, but occasionally I would get a small surprise. My mother had cooked traditional Mexican food, such as mole and enchiladas, but for the most part, she cooked American food. When my grandmother introduced me to menudo, I was definitely taken aback. Menudo consisted of pancita, or tripe, and pig's feet. Yum, right? I am sure you could understand my apprehension, especially as an eight-year old. My mother had obviously taught me manners and not wanting to offend my grandmother, I tentatively lifted a spoonful to my mouth.
Now would be the time where I say that despite my reservations I actually enjoyed it, but that would be a lie. The pancita had a slimy, spongy texture and the pig's feet - well, I don't even want to think about it. Once I tried that, I figured I could try almost anything - almost. Through out my stay in Mexico I took advantage of the many experiences that were set in front of me. I tried the different fare that was offered, no matter the contents, and I even learned how to milk a cow.
I now watch the travel channel and observe as Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain go to remote places around the world and partake in the most bizarre customs a culture may have to offer. What I have started to learn since my vacation is that allowing ourselves new encounters with the world helps us broaden our minds and become more accepting of what we do not know. In addition to that, I hope someday to be open-minded enough to travel and experience different cultures just as Zimmern and Bourdain do.
If it says about 500 words does that mean minimum or maximum?
It is now 557 words without the quote
