The Accidental Tourist

Have you ever imagined yourself going to a place where you cannot communicate with other people, where nobody knows you, and where you have to do everything to pay for your living and studying? I have had that experience. Two years ago, I decided to leave my beloved country, a country where technology and economy have not fully developed, to come to America to pursue my studying. This decision has turned me from a girl who only knows how to study well and asks her parents for all the expenses to a girl who understands lots of meanings of life, works hard to earn money, and realizes that she has to learn more from real life than what are taught in school to fulfill her dream.

I was blessed to have grown up receiving unconditional love from my parents and people around me. I excelled at school, my teachers liked me, and my friends respected me. I was like a princess in my own world. Life seemed so easy for me that I felt bored and wanted to explore the outside world. After graduating from high school, I told my parents that I wanted to study abroad in America, which was famous for its ethnic diversity in population as well as an excellent educational system. Nobody agreed with me at that time about my decision, especially my parents, for they were worried that I would have to encounter so many difficulties. I had no relatives in America, my English speaking and listening skills are not too good, and I had never had any work experiences. With a stubborn mind of a girl who was used to getting what she wanted, I finally persuaded my parents to let me go although I was not sure how my life in the America would be. In my mind, I thought of it as a place with beautiful sceneries, nice and modern people, and a whole new world that I would enjoy my life.

Things were turned out to be so different. After two years living and studying in America, I looked at the world with new attitude from new perspectives. Changes take place; it's not the country that changes but the 18-year-old girl who has lived like a princess that matures. No longer be taken care of by my family, I had to adapt to a new life in a new place where I know nobody. My parents cannot afford for the high-standard of living in America although they love me so much. I had to find a job, learned how to cook, how to communicate with other people, and most importantly, how to get used to the differences in cultures between the two countries.

The first year was tough for me. In contrast to the heavenly-like life that I had in my country, I had to face so many difficulties. I had bad grades at school because of the differences in language and ways of learning. I had no friends; the teachers did not pay much attention to me; there were so many cultural differences. For me, nothing is worse than being looked down upon by others. I applied for so many jobs on and off campus but there wasn't any news in the first couple months. I lost my confidence and my hope in almost