I stare at it next to my dorm bed, placed diagonally to the three-meter wide window with the view of a couple of tall buildings instead of green and wide mountains. I used to look at it every day in my old bedroom. It now reminds me not only of my aunt but also about the memorable moments I had back home with my family and friends. It now gives me the motivation to follow all of my dreams. Coming to New York is a huge transformation. Everything used to be so simple back home where things are already prepared and done for me in advanced. In Colombia, it is very common for people to hire maids and drivers. In my case, I have maids who would take care of changing my bed sheets, do my laundry, etc. In New York, however, it is not so common to have people do the “basic” things for you. The “basic” things that I did not know was actually a normal thing that I have to get used to. Though, I did struggle in the beginning. It was hard to insert the duvet and have it evenly distributed inside the duvet cover. But, after many trials and errors, I was able to overcome this challenge.
It is just as rumors have said, New Yorkers are so independent, and their atmosphere is very cold. When I first came here, I have experienced this culture shock. People move so fast as if they are all late for work and they tend not to observe their surrounding as much. They are all focused on themselves, which is something I appreciate. I believe I can express myself more when living here because no one seems to care what I do. No one has expectations of me. Therefore, I can be myself and do what I love.
Furthermore, New York is like a collection of puzzles. There are people from all over the world with different backgrounds, different ethnicity, and different styles. I get to see what I would never get to see in Colombia. It is like a whole new world to me, which have broadened my horizons. Especially at school, I get to look at different genders, fashion styles, and makeup.
I have the opportunity to make new friends from different countries and exchange our cultures. All of these things make me want to take this as an advantage to help pursue my career at Parsons. Because I want to work in Madrid or Barcelona in the future, I believe that this new setting would help me build connections and gain knowledge that I cannot find it elsewhere. I am grateful for where I am and will strive for progress, not perfection.
