<p>My friend asked me to post this here. It is not mine; it's his. I put Great to et attention. LOL
It was the summer of 2004; I was on a life-changing departure towards the United States. To this day I still don't understand why I didn’t show any amusement about this departure. After all, the United States is supposed to be the “land of opportunity.” My family watched me leave with excitement and the belief that there would be a better life for me in America. However, I had not been to the United States since I left at the age of three. I wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t mature enough to grasp the reality that I would never return to Mexico again.</p>
<p>Adapting to a radically different environment was difficult for me. America was diverse, commercially active, and busy. Society functioned in a very exact way and I had only two choices: do my best to assimilate, or be left behind. All of this was difficult to handle, especially at the age of seven. I struggled to comprehend my old language, English, which I once knew before I was sent to Mexico. School was a scary place for me, it seemed like all the other kids were talking in some foreign language. I couldn’t interact with other students or teachers; all I could do was sit alone with only my thoughts and confusion. This confusion often brought tears to my eyes whenever my mom would drop me off at school. I had to try not to cry in front of my mom, since crying was culturally frowned upon where I came from. My life was totally changed with one simple flight and I didn't know how to express my internal emotions, nobody understood me. I secretly attempted to call my family back in Mexico to request for them to arrange a flight back home, where I felt I fit in. But of course that would never happen, there were more opportunities in America. My mom frequently tried to convince me how fortunate I was to be able to call myself an American citizen. However, at the young age of seven I wasn’t able to realize how fortunate I was and how many people would only dream of being in the position I was now in.</p>
<p>As I got older, I finally started to acknowledge how lucky I was and began to define who I wanted to be. At last I was able to draw the many distinctions between the two cultures that I had been exposed to as a child. These distinctions opened my eyes to the world. I experienced firsthand how less developed communities with none of the conveniences we take for granted here in the US had to function. This background of living in a developing and developed country helped make me who I am today. It pushed me and encouraged me to thrive in whatever tasks I had to complete. Unlike my peers I was able to see the value and importance in things most people don’t think twice about such as public schooling. I mostly likely would not be able to appreciate the beauty of different cultures today if I had not live a dual life. I even have my own theory that people who have experienced diversity in their life are the most understanding of others and the most likely to look at the world with an open mind. This psychological assertion demonstrates how nurture heavily influences individuals. The experiences we have growing up are what make us who we are today.</p>
<p>I am thankful that I had to go through these struggles. As a result, my eyes are now open and I am ready to let my curiosity flourish. If you were to ask me why people in people in Latin America still use “pottery items to store food,” only I would understand the profound value of this tradition.</p>