Thanks Culture Shock Moving to various countries has defined several aspects of my life.

Even when it brings hard times, I glance at the final result and feel privileged. First, in February 4 of 2006, I leave Peru and head to Honduras. Certainly, with the innocent mind set of a nave ten year old child, I regarded this movement as an epic adventure. However, as this moving brought difficult episodes with it, I started to repudiate its epic qualities. Now, as tough times are over, I retake my blissful child vision and see it again as a Homeric narrative. It is interesting how moving to a foreign country can enhance a person in so many ways, how it can pose an onerous but eventually useful experience. My first months in Honduras mark a fundamental stage of my life. At ten years old, I could have never imagined the obscure uncertainty hiding behind all of the apparent positivity of this transition. The people, slang, traditions, customs and many other Honduran features were completely unknown to me. At first, I tried to hold onto my Peruvian culture and deny the Honduran as much as possible, only to realize that this was no more than avoiding the issue and even rejecting a beneficial opportunity. Eventually, I recognized that I had to adapt, merge both cultures to form a unique me. For some reason, when I had finally solved my culture shock, I had to step out of my hardearned comfort and head towards Costa Rica, facing a vast sea of uncertainty regarding my future whereabouts. Now, while living here for two years, I realize that these tough experiences actually produced purposeful, personal rewards. As soon as I arrived to Costa Rica, I decided that I would take advantage of this situation, approach it as a powerful learning experience. Consequently, I developed my own goal: to use every single experience, good or bad, as an opportunity to enrich personal traits. With this optimist strategy, Costa Ricas culture shock was a calm and pleasant journey compared to Hondurass. At this moment, I am thankful for all the past obstacles because they have allowed me to mature as a person. Thanks to these occurrences, I have a strong identity and purpose in life. Still, another amusing challenge stands in front of me, and it is called going to college. To this, I only have to say: I have been there before. I have acquired the resilience to adapt to foreignness; I have broadened my cultural spectrum, and I wish to expand it more in order to have a more profound, insightful understanding of distinct cultures and overall humanity. Most importantly, I will fight the uncertainty of future with my present certainty and eagerness to take advantage of higher education so I can give my desired contribution to the world. I welcome this new stage with open arms. Of course, I cannot refuse an opportunity to give my full potential and continue to improve as a person.