Another long airplane trip. Another boarding pass which takes me from one window to another so I can keep on gazing through the wonders of the sky. Another airport that takes me to several flashbacks of the past resulting in many happy memories. Another country to be crossed and many miles gained in my airline's membership account that is probably gold by now. Another experience to go through, which is new, different, exciting, and to be honest: sometimes scary.
I hugged my mother again as she pulled me tight as if she wants to make sure that this is me, her daughter, in her same figure. This is her daughter who kept on growing in front of eyes. This is her daughter who got taller than her, and who started to talk about the world and its countries just like her daddy. This is her girl, who promised to never let her down. My mother's hug was a reminder to me of the reason why I've always wanted to travel. My first airplane seat was on her lap, after that she started to buckle me to my own seat, then eventually I started to take over, and now I am the one who guides her to her seat while she lets me do that so I can enjoy my experience and learn. My passport grew with more stamps, each one had a different story, and every page carried with different entries a new piece added to the puzzle of my personality. I don't know how this happened, but it seems like my mother and father added a part, or let me say a piece, of each culture to my personality. They wanted to make sure that we were actually learning and gaining something valuable from our travels. That thing could be knowledge, wisdom, self-independence, growth, or it could simply be: love and hope. The bond that we shared as a family during our travels made my siblings and I grow with a sense of appreciation and love to our parents for making the whole world to us only one airplane ride away. That is how we found love between the allies of France, knowledge in the museums of Austria, appreciation on the streets of Thailand, and hope within the people of the world.
I headed to the airport, and for the first time ever, I was literally going to cross that Atlantic all by myself. I had this weird smile on my face after I was done with the customs, I was happy but terrified at the same time. My heart was pounding, my stomach was upset, and my brain was lost. I kept on telling myself "What in the world am I doing?". This is crazy, I know. I'm only seventeen years old, I know. I am going to the United States of America all by myself to start college, now that was a new reality to me. I could not grasp the meaning of my new decision until I was literally doing it all by myself.
What is that? What is that courage, or that feeling, or that dream that I owned? What is that future that I looked after? What is that city and college that I was headed to? What is me, being me? Something still sparked in my heart to keep going, because giving up certainly was not an option. I had a lot of things waiting to fall off the edge of my life. I stopped thinking of everyone and everything, and I took a moment to think about myself. I am doing this for Razan, I am who I am and that is the end of the story. I shall succeed, because once you see success in your life, passion will never leave your heart. You will always look for more, because you will always have more to offer. We are here for a reason, I traveled half way across the globe, and came to Boone, North Carolina for a reason. It could be either academic excellence, or a new trip that will help me find myself in this world and settle down. It could be too early for me, but, once you know that it's time for you to do something with your life, you will simply do it without giving much thoughts about the consequences. Besides, I am young.
I landed in Charlotte, North Carolina and saw my American dad waiting for me. Right then, I was happy again. I was finding my way back to my own reality; the reality of accomplishing the dreams of my life. Then after a two hours drive, we arrived to the beautiful McDowell County where I saw my American mother waiting for me. I was laughing because seeing them seemed too amazing to be real, I was actually back! Who would've thought that an unexpected exchange year could turn your whole life into a new path? The passport stamp of my exchange year gave me a great inspiration to keep going and explore more.
Here I am, currently writing from Appalachian State University where I will be spending the next few years of my life. This place will add more pieces to me. My parents are not here to guide me through the different streets or allies. They gave me the tools of living through raising me well, they believed in my crazy ideas, and they made them turn into a beautiful reality. They are the soul that keeps my heart on beating, the light the keeps my eyes on seeing, the road the keeps my feet on walking on the right path. Then, life also blessed me with a second family who's always here for me. My American parents contributed to the puzzle of my personality by adding some more pieces to complete it. Whether it was translating the Southern accent to me, or helping me grow in a foreign country, I know that they will always have a place in my heart for everything that they're doing.
My friends, we are all lucky with our lives, but hard work is required too. You have to recognize your blessings so you can gain more, appreciate those whom you have in your life so they can stay in it, and live for yourself. My experience here in Boone, NC might take me on a roller coaster, but I like those wild rides now matter how disgusting they may feel! But also, smiling helps. That is why I smiled in the airport, because the transition from one journey to another requires courage, and sometimes courage starts with a smile.
I hugged my mother again as she pulled me tight as if she wants to make sure that this is me, her daughter, in her same figure. This is her daughter who kept on growing in front of eyes. This is her daughter who got taller than her, and who started to talk about the world and its countries just like her daddy. This is her girl, who promised to never let her down. My mother's hug was a reminder to me of the reason why I've always wanted to travel. My first airplane seat was on her lap, after that she started to buckle me to my own seat, then eventually I started to take over, and now I am the one who guides her to her seat while she lets me do that so I can enjoy my experience and learn. My passport grew with more stamps, each one had a different story, and every page carried with different entries a new piece added to the puzzle of my personality. I don't know how this happened, but it seems like my mother and father added a part, or let me say a piece, of each culture to my personality. They wanted to make sure that we were actually learning and gaining something valuable from our travels. That thing could be knowledge, wisdom, self-independence, growth, or it could simply be: love and hope. The bond that we shared as a family during our travels made my siblings and I grow with a sense of appreciation and love to our parents for making the whole world to us only one airplane ride away. That is how we found love between the allies of France, knowledge in the museums of Austria, appreciation on the streets of Thailand, and hope within the people of the world.
I headed to the airport, and for the first time ever, I was literally going to cross that Atlantic all by myself. I had this weird smile on my face after I was done with the customs, I was happy but terrified at the same time. My heart was pounding, my stomach was upset, and my brain was lost. I kept on telling myself "What in the world am I doing?". This is crazy, I know. I'm only seventeen years old, I know. I am going to the United States of America all by myself to start college, now that was a new reality to me. I could not grasp the meaning of my new decision until I was literally doing it all by myself.
What is that? What is that courage, or that feeling, or that dream that I owned? What is that future that I looked after? What is that city and college that I was headed to? What is me, being me? Something still sparked in my heart to keep going, because giving up certainly was not an option. I had a lot of things waiting to fall off the edge of my life. I stopped thinking of everyone and everything, and I took a moment to think about myself. I am doing this for Razan, I am who I am and that is the end of the story. I shall succeed, because once you see success in your life, passion will never leave your heart. You will always look for more, because you will always have more to offer. We are here for a reason, I traveled half way across the globe, and came to Boone, North Carolina for a reason. It could be either academic excellence, or a new trip that will help me find myself in this world and settle down. It could be too early for me, but, once you know that it's time for you to do something with your life, you will simply do it without giving much thoughts about the consequences. Besides, I am young.
I landed in Charlotte, North Carolina and saw my American dad waiting for me. Right then, I was happy again. I was finding my way back to my own reality; the reality of accomplishing the dreams of my life. Then after a two hours drive, we arrived to the beautiful McDowell County where I saw my American mother waiting for me. I was laughing because seeing them seemed too amazing to be real, I was actually back! Who would've thought that an unexpected exchange year could turn your whole life into a new path? The passport stamp of my exchange year gave me a great inspiration to keep going and explore more.
Here I am, currently writing from Appalachian State University where I will be spending the next few years of my life. This place will add more pieces to me. My parents are not here to guide me through the different streets or allies. They gave me the tools of living through raising me well, they believed in my crazy ideas, and they made them turn into a beautiful reality. They are the soul that keeps my heart on beating, the light the keeps my eyes on seeing, the road the keeps my feet on walking on the right path. Then, life also blessed me with a second family who's always here for me. My American parents contributed to the puzzle of my personality by adding some more pieces to complete it. Whether it was translating the Southern accent to me, or helping me grow in a foreign country, I know that they will always have a place in my heart for everything that they're doing.
My friends, we are all lucky with our lives, but hard work is required too. You have to recognize your blessings so you can gain more, appreciate those whom you have in your life so they can stay in it, and live for yourself. My experience here in Boone, NC might take me on a roller coaster, but I like those wild rides now matter how disgusting they may feel! But also, smiling helps. That is why I smiled in the airport, because the transition from one journey to another requires courage, and sometimes courage starts with a smile.
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