My Experience In My Life

I went through a rough time period in my life. Sometimes I’m afraid to talk about it, as if I can’t accept the fact that I actually went through it. During these difficult years of my life, I suffered severely from Depression and Anxiety. I had multiple panic attacks in a day and I got to the point of having suicidal thoughts. I felt numb; everyday was a blur to me. I sincerely thought I wouldn’t make it to the age of fifteen.

The story began about a year and some months ago. Early in the Fall 2016 semester, I met a girl named Ann through a friend of mine. My first impression of Ann was that she was very pretty, but she talked a lot. I mean a lot! After I met her, the three of us began to hangout a couple of times each week. Even though she talked a lot it was fun having her around because of the energy she brought to any situation. At first, I felt that being around her drained my energy, but I eventually got accustomed to it, and grew to feed off it.

I first became aware of myself as a unique human being about a month ago because of things occuring in my life. I had a lot of new things going on in my mind last year for the first time. I didn’t know why it was this was happening to me, I thought there was something wrong with me. This is how I became aware of me being different from everyone else. *Personal*

There have been many events in my life since I have been a kid that has led me to where I

Until I was eight-years-old, I had a relatively typical family: a mom, dad, two younger sisters, one younger brother, and two dogs. I was goal-oriented and determined even as a young girl; I had my life figured out for the next ten years. I had a strong sense of who I was, but one June day, I began the arduous process of redefining my plans and sense of self.

“Are you excited for your trip?” my mom asked me. “I'm not sure,” I replied. I had never been on a school trip, and I wasn’t sure how it was going to be. Ten days spent in Greece, would be, to say the least, a bit of a stretch for my exhausted brain. I was fresh out of the eighth grade, the official worst year of my life to this date. I had asked myself over and over why I had chosen to go on this trip. I was tired, and wanted to just be alone for the next two months, but I knew that I had already committed to it. I tried telling myself that it would be a good experience, that I would fulfill my childhood dreams, but I didn't believe myself. My mom asked me why I wasn’t sure, but I said nothing more than “I don't know.” I was unsure of how to feel. How I should feel was clashing heads with how I did feel, and it was all too much to bear. I felt sick with guilt.

It was the 2000s. I had been without a job for at least a couple of weeks and was finding it extremely hard to carry out my life in my village in Veracruz, Mexico. I used to own a farm but when the temperature began to rise and the soil was less fertile, I had to put an end to it because I was unable to plant or harvest any crops. In the past, this had been my main source of income but as the time went by, I could not sustain this lifestyle anymore. Furthermore, I couldn’t supply my family of 4 with the items they needed to be alive. After having a long talk with my wife, Emilia, I decided to begin to consider many different options. We searched all of the village and even in nearby towns trying to find a place that would hire me. We didn’t find anything but did see a flyer on a pole that was interesting. It said, “Go to America. You’ll get hired for sure.” Me and my wife were overjoyed when we saw this. We immediately began to plan our move up North.

Traveling on an airplane was crucial the way it moved me felt like I was flooding on could. Seeing the ground, the oceans, rivers, mountains, and beautiful green trees. Coming to America all alone was like a whole world turning upside down, it was a different world and new to everything, I didn’t know how to express myself and was hard to understand people, experience new knowledge and trying to put up with it for the moment.

In 2014 my life changed drastically, and I have not been the same person that I was that short time ago. It all began with my big secret coming out and continued to roll into a giant snowball, up until I finally found the sun to melt it away. I went through a long depressive phase and then along my journey I found peace again.

I grew up in a small town called Buttonwillow, which had four streets and was so tiny that everybody knew each other and possibly knew about each other. I wouldn't describe it as a town full of crime but it did have many "bad" people. I didn't live on the great side of town so I heard cops almost every other night, but it was normal for me growing up and I didn't think much of it because I knew I was okay. My family only consisted of my three older sisters, my mom, and I, until later my mom met my step-father and so then came three more children. I was the middle child so I was the outcast.

As I boarded the charter bus to my second year of Unidiversity (an annual summer youth trip in Tennessee), I could not begin to imagine the person I would become as a result of this trip. As a teenager going into my last year of middle school, I was determined to have the time of my life. I wanted to have fun, make a better connection with friends, play games, laugh, and really enjoy the time with my leaders and friends. At this point in my life, I was hiding a dark secret that only two other people in my life knew about; I was bisexual. As an almost eighth grader, I was comfortable with my sexuality, but I didn’t know how to explain it to others, and although I knew my friends would accept me for who I was, something was holding me back. I would walk around hiding behind I mask that I thought was permanent, a mask that told everyone that I was one thing, when I was really another. Little did I know that I was about to rip off the mask, and show my true self for the first time in my life.

Volunteering is an important part of my life, so Tulane’s emphasis on community engagement is one reason we’re a good fit. I actually had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans in the summer of 2016 through the Rustic Pathways organization to help rebuild the city from Hurricane Katrina. Even though I technically spent two weeks aiding others, the experience helped me more than I ever imagined it would. Not only did I immerse myself in the vibrant culture of New Orleans, but I learned firsthand about other lifestyles by meeting new people from all around the globe. We celebrated Bastille Day with Romane from Paris, and comforted her and Thomas when the Nice attack shook their nation. As we mudded the walls of ‘our house’ in the Lower 9th Ward, I shared stories about celebrity sightings with Emma from Rochester, and learned from Aidan that the stereotype of rain in Seattle is true. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet people who would become some of my closest friends while helping those that have been displaced. I was moved by the sense of connectedness that has emerged in New Orleans since the natural disaster. We worked with the Saint Bernard’s Project to bring families back home after ten years. The organization holds welcome home parties for the families once their house is finished, and our group attended the festivities for an older couple that had been living with their adult children since the disaster. Enjoying cake and conversing with the

On Saturday, June 24, 6:00am me and my family were getting ready to go to Omaha .To experience going somewhere far away from home.But that wasn't the only reason why we were going we were .Also going because we wanted to see the zoo some people were talking about it and how wonderful and amazing it was to go there.Everyone was exciting me, my sisters and my mom too because it was are first time that we were going to stay at a hotel.

In life, many times we face the most difficult obstacles. Never did I imagine that I would face a time in my life as challenging as the Summer of 2009. When I was in 4th grade, I found out my family and I would be moving to Broken Arrow. At first, I was so excited to go to our “brand new” house. It was then that I realized moving to a new city meant making all new friends, and basically starting over. I didn’t know what would happen at that point, but here I am 8 years later and I couldn’t be happier with my life. Moving to Broken Arrow was frightening at first, but in the long run gave me many new and exciting opportunities such as making new friends, becoming involved in my church, and making incredible memories in my school’s marching band.

Growing up I had a good life. I lived with my brother, sister, and both of my parents together as a good family. My parents really taught me how to be respectful and responsible. I was lucky to have them as good influences in my life. I am not one to disrespect anyone unless they have done me wrong. I grew up caring about school and always wanting to perform well and anything that I do. There were many challenges and events that helped me become the person I am today. One of which is when my family and I had the opportunity to visit our home country, Zimbabwe.