Personal Narrative: My Cultural Bubble

I grew up in Kaiping, Guangdong where I spend my childhood chasing grasshoppers and catching fireflies. I lived my life freely within my cultural bubble. I remember moving around a lot when I was a child, going from home to home. My grandmother in the countryside raised me while my parents work in a small city not too far away. I remember staying with my uncle’s family from time to time in the big city. It was not until I grew older that I finally started living with my parents in a small city. Our most drastic move was coming to the United States when I was around the age of 8. As a child, not knowing anything, I just went with the flow. I was curious and excited about this new environment we were placed in. However, reality kicked in. Growing
My friend told me about this scholarship program called Carpe Mundi who helps low income, first generation students travel at a low cost. It was hard to believe and I did not have high expectations at the time but I took a chance. I got accepted and the whole process, from orientation to boarding a plane, did not seem real until my 2nd day in Quito, Ecuador. The feeling of a dream turning into reality just happened so fast and felt surreal. Through Carpe Mundi, I was able to complete a 3 month service learning abroad in Ecuador and
My father passed away due to a stroke when I was in middle school so my mother had to work two jobs to support my brother and I. I recently had a house fire around December 2016 so this may not be the best time to study abroad but I figure, if not now, then when? My mother did not support me in this decision at first. It took me awhile to convince her to let me go. Ultimately, she wants me to pursue what makes me happy. While I am pursuing my passions, I am sure this decision will hit me financially when I get back to the States. A whole academic year is a long time but it is necessary. You are not really experiencing and learning about a culture unless you stay there for an extended period of time. This is what I have decided to do and I will make up for it by working more jobs upon my return to the States. I am sure that I will not have any regrets on this decision to study abroad. My first study abroad experience did put me on a financial crisis but I regretted nothing from that decision. It was also a low cost to pay at the time in exchange for the