- Posts: 1
- Joined: Jan 06, 2016
- Wed Jan 06, 2016 2:34 am
#21560
Like most, I saw Dave's Twitter post and would love some feedback as well. Anything helps!
_________
My mother and I were always on the move; often living with different people and moving from state to state. Prior to living in a motel, my life was a never ending blur of movement which included living in numerous houses and states while never attending more than a year at the same school. However, my mother always told me that the movement would come to an end after she completed nursing school. Working as a live-in aide my mother who grew up as a ward of the state would leave me for several days at a time; during which times I would be subjected to eating little to no food until her return. During this time conversating to someone other than my mom was difficult. It was frustrating being driven to school by mom every morning knowing my classmates after school would retreat to an actual home, while I retreated to a small, cold, dreary dorm room sized motel room.
Interestingly enough, I later learned there were many families living under the same conditions, and some in even worse conditions. There were a number of them like mom and I, who could not afford a house or apartment and had moved so much that their lives had never been stable and were often considered a flight risk to potential landlords; plus the unfair legal landlord imposing of occupancy rules.
It was an older inspirational man living at the motel who became an image of life and understanding to a young inquisitive girl explaining to me the social and financial disparities that we all faced leading to the same place. Today, I still remember the wise man that is the reason that at 11years old I was able to grasp such a broad understanding of what was really going on around me. It is then I was able to understand what made me different or similar to the other people in the motel. The visitude of life from this experience has left a lasting impact on me even to this day.
Hence, I now understand the pressure my mother placed on me when I began my college journey. She always taught me to never quit and to work within the context of my own reality. However, I faced the ultimate test of both of these lessons when I decided to study abroad. I entered college excited about studying abroad, especially after hearing the reviews from my fellow classmates. Unfortunately, this excitement fizzled on the day I departed from Atlanta to study in Trollhattan, Sweden for a semester. Before this experience I was not easily intimidated by living away from home, however, the thought of being alone in Sweden put a fear in me that I had never in life known.
My first flight landing in London left me immediately overwhelmed as this was the first time out of the United States. The suppressed traveler’s anxiety and fear of being alone resulted in me crying in the airport restaurant for an hour of my 20 hour layover. It was when I arrived at the Swedish airport locating my driver that I managed to regain my composure. Unfortunately, my anxiety returned when I realized that my driver was taking me to a never ending field of snow in the middle of nowhere. Finally, I arrived at my new residence exhaust where I would be living for the next six months.
The first morning in Sweden was met with the challenge of locating my host institution’s orientation. Although I was scared, I was confident I would successfully adapt to my new environment. At orientation, I was placed in a group meeting another American girl. After speaking with her, I realized her experience was worse than mine allowing me to comfort her and convince her that going home was not an option, the same way I had convinced myself earlier.
It is ironic that my nomadic upbringing benefited someone else and helped me to realize my capability of being independent. Since then I have applied the skills I developed in Sweden to my life gaining personal growth and becoming more flexible. Doing the unexpected forces one to overcome fears, learn from mistakes, and make the strongest people while excelling against the odds to reach ones destiny. As acquiring knowledge is a lifelong journey. From my early childhood to now I have learnt much about how the law and regulation impact a person’s everyday life. I realize now that there will always be friction, or trials that are placed in our lives to mold us into who we are destined to be; and, I am prepared for the ride.
_________
My mother and I were always on the move; often living with different people and moving from state to state. Prior to living in a motel, my life was a never ending blur of movement which included living in numerous houses and states while never attending more than a year at the same school. However, my mother always told me that the movement would come to an end after she completed nursing school. Working as a live-in aide my mother who grew up as a ward of the state would leave me for several days at a time; during which times I would be subjected to eating little to no food until her return. During this time conversating to someone other than my mom was difficult. It was frustrating being driven to school by mom every morning knowing my classmates after school would retreat to an actual home, while I retreated to a small, cold, dreary dorm room sized motel room.
Interestingly enough, I later learned there were many families living under the same conditions, and some in even worse conditions. There were a number of them like mom and I, who could not afford a house or apartment and had moved so much that their lives had never been stable and were often considered a flight risk to potential landlords; plus the unfair legal landlord imposing of occupancy rules.
It was an older inspirational man living at the motel who became an image of life and understanding to a young inquisitive girl explaining to me the social and financial disparities that we all faced leading to the same place. Today, I still remember the wise man that is the reason that at 11years old I was able to grasp such a broad understanding of what was really going on around me. It is then I was able to understand what made me different or similar to the other people in the motel. The visitude of life from this experience has left a lasting impact on me even to this day.
Hence, I now understand the pressure my mother placed on me when I began my college journey. She always taught me to never quit and to work within the context of my own reality. However, I faced the ultimate test of both of these lessons when I decided to study abroad. I entered college excited about studying abroad, especially after hearing the reviews from my fellow classmates. Unfortunately, this excitement fizzled on the day I departed from Atlanta to study in Trollhattan, Sweden for a semester. Before this experience I was not easily intimidated by living away from home, however, the thought of being alone in Sweden put a fear in me that I had never in life known.
My first flight landing in London left me immediately overwhelmed as this was the first time out of the United States. The suppressed traveler’s anxiety and fear of being alone resulted in me crying in the airport restaurant for an hour of my 20 hour layover. It was when I arrived at the Swedish airport locating my driver that I managed to regain my composure. Unfortunately, my anxiety returned when I realized that my driver was taking me to a never ending field of snow in the middle of nowhere. Finally, I arrived at my new residence exhaust where I would be living for the next six months.
The first morning in Sweden was met with the challenge of locating my host institution’s orientation. Although I was scared, I was confident I would successfully adapt to my new environment. At orientation, I was placed in a group meeting another American girl. After speaking with her, I realized her experience was worse than mine allowing me to comfort her and convince her that going home was not an option, the same way I had convinced myself earlier.
It is ironic that my nomadic upbringing benefited someone else and helped me to realize my capability of being independent. Since then I have applied the skills I developed in Sweden to my life gaining personal growth and becoming more flexible. Doing the unexpected forces one to overcome fears, learn from mistakes, and make the strongest people while excelling against the odds to reach ones destiny. As acquiring knowledge is a lifelong journey. From my early childhood to now I have learnt much about how the law and regulation impact a person’s everyday life. I realize now that there will always be friction, or trials that are placed in our lives to mold us into who we are destined to be; and, I am prepared for the ride.
Also, I did not fully understand what made Sweden so challenging. Sure, you found yourself in a new country for the first time, but so do plenty of other undergraduates who've never travelled internationally before college. Just like the story of your childhood, I was left to draw my own conclusions about what the story means to you.