<p>I'm afraid it's kind of delving into the cliched trip category. </p>
<p>Basically, I was in China for the Red Latern Festival, and I had to eat these really gross rice ball things at a local's home. It's more humorous if anything, but I'm kind of tying it into "overcoming an obstacle in a new experience" thing (sort of like the girl w/ the fish in Harry Bauld's essay book). I'm not sure what the big lesson to be learned is, but I'm working on it.</p>
<p>My other idea is to write about my involvement with French at my school. Obviously a lot less funny and interesting, but there is a good story behind part of it.</p>
<p>My feeling is that any topic you identify with is a good one.</p>
<p>You’re right in that you would be blending two cliches, and yes, adcoms will probably have an “Oh, not again” visceral response. But know that this will be the case for nearly every essay out there, and that such a response can be avoided by focusing and introducing your story in a different manner. </p>
<p>The most important point of your essay will be to put passion into it.. to really show that you identify with the topic. If you can do that with your travel story then that is an infinitely better topic than some obscure one you do not feel comfortable with.</p>
<p>You don’t imo have to have a “big lesson learned”, particularly when you have to “work on it” to find one. Such “lessons” often are impersonal and “tellings” when the adage is “show, don’t tell.” </p>
<p>Imo, stick to personal, detailed and revealing.</p>
<p>The point of the essay is to reveal you. To be something that only you could write. To give a sense of the kind of presence you would be on campus, in class, in a dorm.</p>
<p>To second ADad’s responce, I always find that the essays with “the big lesson learned” are often the more cliche ones. An essay about yourself, despite an overused topic, is much less likely to be seen as boring and cliched, simply because you are talking about yourself and revealing something personal, something that no one else would every be able to write about.</p>
<p>So I can just talk about how I felt and reacted to the situation and that would be enough? I thought there had to be something you get out of the experience, but I guess that depends on the question.</p>
<p>I didn’t “get” anything out of it per se, but the way I reacted and the way I can describe it shows who I am.</p>