When I arrived there, I got very excited. First, I was excited because it was my first time in a foreign country, and second because I was going to live something really new in my life. On the other hand, learning English wasn’t an easy process because my aunt used to speak just Portuguese with me; I used to take English classes just twice a week and all the students were foreign too. My experience of learning English in a regular course was limited to this little experience and a short period taking English as a Second Language at the local College. Thus, from that period until de end of the time there, I learned the language with the people from the city and the new friends I had met.
Besides the experience of studying a new language, making new friends was the best aspect of living abroad. I had a girlfriend who lived in a beautiful city by the Pacific Ocean and I used to spend every weekend with her. We used to go out often and in one of these times I met my first American boyfriend. He was handsome and very kind and we had a great time together. He took me to many interesting places and showed me the authentic American way of life by introducing me to his family, his friends and his culture. Moreover, going out constantly and talking to him helped me to improve the skills with the language and mainly to be familiar with the American people and their habits and customs.
Another great experience I had was working as a babysitter. Once I read in the newspaper an advertisement looking for a foreign girl to take care of two children. At first I got really scared with the big responsibility of taking care of two children, but I decided to live this new adventure. The family’s house was in a very nice place by the ocean and the children were very cute and curious about my “weird accent”. In spite of the fact that this new experience wasn’t easy due to my lack of practice at that time, everything went well and the whole situation was very meaningful to my life.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
One of the best experiences I have experienced was my adoption. This day gave me a feeling of being part of a whole family instead of being the stepchild, not that my mother treated me like I was a stepchild. Not that it changed my day to day life, however, it changed how I looked at a number of things. My lawer and parents allowed me to pick they day I was adopted. As a result, I was adopted on Michigan's adoption day, which always takes…
- 1010 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
The best trip I have ever went on was when my family and I went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. My aunt was getting married and my mom’s side of the family was invited to come. We got to go on this vacation last February. We left very early one morning and we went to the airport. It was very cold and the air was very dry. We got to the airport in Sioux Falls and we went through security and waited to get on the plane. Once we finally got on the plane I was very excited to get there. We had a connection in Minneapolis and we had a direct flight from Minneapolis all the way to Punta Cana. Once we finally got to Punta Cana, we were getting off the plane and I could feel the humid, warm air. We had to wait in a very long line to go through customs. After that, we got on a taxi that took us to our resort. The roads in the Dominican Republic are not much different from the roads in the U.S. They still had stop lights, billboards, and the same traffic rules. One big difference we saw on the way to the…
- 552 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
We traveled to the Caribbean and visited 7 islands, I got to witness the way they live life there and the different culture as well, not to mention how beautiful it was there.I remember when we went to Saint Kitts island my siblings and grandparents went swimming and, at that time, I had tubes in both of my ears so I had to wear this headband thing to protect them from the water. Because of the headband, I had a rather noticeable sunburn line on my forehead for the next week but it was all worth it for that experience. I learned a lot on that trip, like how they dock the boat and tie it down, banana plants, how friendly the people are there, nature there, and much more. I also observed people living in poverty, who didn’t have the latest and greatest gadgets. Ever since I have tried to never take living in America in a middle-class family for…
- 662 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The life experiences that I acquired came from the fortunate fact that I was able to go every summer to either Israel or Finland. I would have to adapt for 3 months of the year to a totally different culture, and as a result I have made life long friends not only in America but in Finland and Israel as well.…
- 195 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
The year I turned six, my mom decided to migrate to Mexico. However, she was not able bring my one year old sister along. While my little sister stayed with my grandparents, my mom and I flied out to Mexico. I still remember the feeling in my stomach the moment I stepped out of that airport. I was an ocean away from my hometown. My first day of school was chaos. Everyone in the school was speaking in Spanish. I did not understand the customs and mannerisms. It was difficult to not feel as an outcast. The most complicated part was expressing my feelings, and my needs to the teachers. I lived in Mexico, Tijuana for six years, after becoming adapted to the environment, my mom came home one day and told me that we are moving to the United States.…
- 194 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
At sixteen my parents gave me the (lucky) opportunity to travel to America and be an exchange student for a year. It was an amazing experience that changed my life in many positive ways. However, a very sad fact was that living nine months in Indiana made me gain 20 pounds. I had been pretty slim my whole life and I really could not believe what living in another country could do to you.…
- 476 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
I was four years old when my family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. It was a crazy experience and a big life change for all of us. There were many obstacles to be faced living a life completely far away from what we used to call home. It was very difficult to leave my grandparents back in Ukraine. They were a significant source of encouragement for me especially my grandfather. He was my hero. He was the main nurturer who provided a lot of encouragement and support for me in the very hard times of my life. In times of crisis when life felt like a crashing wave, he was the one I always ran to for guidance. Like most immigrants, we didn’t know any English, therefore it was extremely hard to communicate with anyone.…
- 1288 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
This experience taught me numerous new things that shaped who I was and altered the way I returned to my community, Los Angeles. The most important thing I learned at this internship was the ability to “fit into” this new way of life. While studying abroad, I believe that this skill I gained from my internship will allow me accommodate and adapt easily to the new culture. I also learned from this internship how to properly communicate with new people in general, but also with people who may not be familiar with my own culture and lifestyle. This new skill will also allow me to communicate and connect with other students while abroad by expressing an interest in who they are. I will also be able to grow a connection with my peers by showing them a bit of my culture and help them learn a new way of life.…
- 520 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
was that I found myself missing the rest of my family and of course, my friends. However, I realized that I have to make new friends, and in order to make new friends, I had to learn how to speak the language. In order to learn English as fast as possible, I decided to read children’s books and pick out the words that I do not know. Then, I translated the words and tried to memorize and put them in different sentences. One year after another, I started to have more and more friends who gave a meaning to my life.…
- 585 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Waking up in the morning and looking at the news, social media, and newspaper and realizing that we live in a world filled with judgments and stereotypes towards one another. Assisting a school near the border of Mexico, and the principal and teachers being Turkish has given me the opportunity to learn each culture clearly. Interacting with people from different countries has opened my eyes to see how wrong reporters, political candidates, and other people's opinions are amiss.…
- 470 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The first time I came to United States. My first time in United States was scary but yet fun. I came over with my mother, my father and my little brother. I was only 9 years old and didn’t speak any English. My father was the only one that knew good English because he was born and raised in New Jersey.…
- 991 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
It was only my mother, my little brother, and me. We did not know the language or the culture, and it was really difficult for us to accommodate to our new life. When I started school I saw many differences in the educational methods, as well as in the life style. By the time I was on high school I had grown bigger aspirations for my life, now I wanted to be the first person on my family to go to college. As of now I have completed my first goal of entering college. It has been a long ride since the day I first got to America, but since then the culture does not stop surprising me. I learn new things everyday like how people accomplish their dreams by working hard, or how people from everywhere come here following their own paths. Those accomplishments were not possible in my country of origin, and if I had not emigrated, I can not imagine what my future or even my present would be in Cuba. I have many things to thank America, but the most important one is that the culture has helped me to mold the person I am today, and thanks to the opportunities that this country gives to it’s residents I am now helping make my future, and my family’s, brighter and better.…
- 500 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
I never realized how experiencing a different culture would impact my life for the good. Experiencing a different culture made me aware of how lucky I am to live in the United states, how people can come together in times of need, how loving and caring people who are less fortunate than me can be, and how truly blessed I am to live in a safe environment. I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to go to Guatemala on a church mission trip. That week of my life changed me forever.…
- 1506 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
On my trip to Myanmar I learned how to cherish my life here in the United States and to strive to reach my full potential in school.…
- 650 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
My family and I spent the first two days of our vacation just relaxing and having a good time. After a while, I was ready to break away from the family and try to meet some people my own age. Later that evening my family and I went to a beach party the Atlantis was holding for guests. Little did I know how this night would change my life.…
- 490 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays