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  • Essay / Personal Experience: Moving to the USA

    I never in my life expected to write an essay for the Spanish Travel Fellowship and write it in English! Fifteen years ago, I was a typical Italian architecture student who, undoubtedly, had not yet established her role in the local, national and global community, nor her purpose in life. I spent my college years making my parents proud and meeting teachers' expectations. However, architecture was not my college decision. It was my father's dream. When I was six, he lost his engineering business due to a stroke. He reinvented himself several times after his stroke, but he never managed to rebuild his engineering company from the ashes. My architecture degree was his last opportunity to reopen his beloved studio. Trying not to disappoint him, I decided to follow his ambitious idea even though I was more interested in teaching and helping special education students with their homework than in helping my father design skyscrapers . Since I was little, teaching is all I aspired to do. During my senior year of college, I met the love of my life, who was deeply intrigued by the American way of life. We walked down the aisle and moved to Florida in less than a year. Miami immediately captured my husband's attention. However, I was homesick before the plane left. The “intriguing” American way of life seemed to me more of an unknown, confusing, and upsetting mess than an exciting and welcoming new adventure. I was unable to speak or read the English language. I was unable to communicate my thoughts, feelings and opinions. I was lost in translation. Remembering how my father managed to rebuild his life after his stroke, I began to discover more about the local culture, interact with people middle of paper and improve their English language and life in the country. United States I would like to advocate for my friend's daughter and help her get a higher education. Additionally, I plan to take a Spanish class at Georgia Southern University next semester because I believe one should know about another country before visiting it to avoid cultural mistakes and culture shock. My friend's daughter is already helping me with the Spanish language and teaching me about her culture. I firmly believe that by helping each other, we can overcome the cultural challenges we encounter daily in our lives and we can better connect with the world we live in. The knowledge that one acquires at home before visiting a country is fundamental. But the knowledge you gain during a study abroad program is invaluable. Both will make you a better citizen of the world and last a lifetime..