Personal Narrative: My Trip To Toronto

Have you ever seen the TV show the “Walton’s?” If you have, then you will definitely be able to identify how unique the place was where I was raised. I was raised in North Arkansas in a small community called Onia. In fact, the road that I lived on was called Lawrence Road. It was named this because all of my relatives lived down this road. My Grandpa, who is now a retired Baptist preacher, lived down this road along with his brothers and sisters. The church that I grew up going to was also pastored by my grandfather for over thirty years and it was about two miles down the road. The community bordered the Ozark National Forest so it was very rural and isolated. Most of the traffic on Lawrence Road was mainly the people who lived

It was a polluted, blazing hot morning and I felt like I had just been working out for the whole night. As I got ready to go to school, putting on my pollution mask, and taking my bike out, I was concerned not about the teachers and getting lost, but about fitting in. This wasn’t perfect Canada anymore, this was chaos filled, contaminated, messed up China! Everyone was so different from the people in Canada, they spoke quite rudely, they wore shaggy cloth, and their shelter was very traditional compared to the ‘modern style houses’ in Canada. You could say that my school was a giant playground with a playground mansion and an additional indoor playground. As I entered the humid environment of the Mansion, strange figures zoomed around

“Dad, I can’t talk, I'm heading out right now,” I said while hugging the phone with my shoulder up to my ear. He told me to be cautious on the roads, considering the blizzard we had just had a few days ago. It was an unusually calm day in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. A perfect day to travel, the snow on the ground glistened as it had just been freshened with a new coat from the light snowfall early this morning. The sun was barely noticeable from the distance as the tip of it lit up the outline of city. It gave the trees a soft glow making it look like there were thousands of microscopic diamonds floating off the branches of the bare trees through the breeze, carrying them across the neighborhood and greeting themselves at the window

In May I signed a security access form that had September 2nd written as my last day.

My skills as a patient, independent problem solver who is both confident and knowledgeable in both the Royal Ontario Museum's history and collections will contribute to my success as a volunteer assistant. By working at an overnight camp, I have learned to be patient with children in a variety of situations such as high stress and lack of rest. After babysitting an assortment of clients over the course of three years. I have become an experienced and confident independent problem solver. Being a lifelong member at the Royal Ontario Museum and having attended many ROMkids programs, I am at total ease and have developed a thorough understanding of the ROM layout and the history behind gallery artifacts. My demonstration of patience, problem-solving,

I never thought I would be labeled an outsider, a misfit even. As I trudged my way through the halls of my small town high school, I would endure the gazing pairs of eyes, that belonged to my peers, followed by whispering and often times some laughter. I always used zone out during those repetitive speeches and commercials about the effects of gossiping and rumors; never did I imagine that one day I would be on the receiving end of of the everyday potshot. Growing up I was always the center of attention, the one everyone yearned to be friends with, never was I the antisocial child in the corner with nowhere to turn… not until high school. They say high school changes you. They say high school accounts for some of the greatest years of

I keep running from one to another. The rooms are big with white walls and ceilings. Here and there bright colors decorate the walls. Small groups of people converse over their opinions. Children reach out to touch and their mothers pull them in, smacking their hands and telling them no. I stop and spin around, trying to absorb everything around me. Then I stop and stare.

I remember my first day in Canada like it was yesterday. The day I thought my dad had been hit by a car and my mom almost having a heart attack. It all started when we first got to the hotel, in Ontario, Mississauga. My father thought it would be a great idea to explore the area and buy some groceries. My mom, two brothers and I were exhausted due to a fourteen-hour flight from Dubai to Toronto so we decided to stay and take a nap. I woke up at 7 pm to silence. I thought my dad had come back and took a nap, but when I went to wake up parents, it was only my mother. At that point, I started freaking out, it’s been 4 hours since my father left. I woke up my mother and told her my dad hadn’t come back yet. My mother tried to call my father, but his phone was off. She then went to the security of the building and talked to him. The security guard asked my mother

Human rights are in place for a reason, because all persons regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, ability, class, appearance and social location deserve to, and ought to, be treated with fairness and in an equitable manner. My responsibility as a Canadian citizen and professional is to uphold and promote all human rights regardless of my social location and assumptive world view. I feel as a humanitarian it is also my responsibility to educate and create awareness of issues surrounding basic human rights, especially those related to gender identity and expression. Through education of gender identity and gender expression, clients and members of the public are made aware of the oppression and discrimination that

I’ve always been an outsider, it’s been hard for me to build friendships and relationships. Not too long ago, there I sat in the corner of the room in the way back, trying to hide from the world, and be myself. I didn’t really want to get involved with anything or anyone. I was afraid to open up, talk to others, maybe because I was afraid to get rejected. Until, I met the best people I could ever meet, my best friends Marisa Mendoza, Jessica Contreras and Deseray Reyes, the ones who up to this day have sticked by my side, at my best, and worst moments. They have all been a big part of my life, I can enjoy every minute I spend with them. For me, they aren’t only my friends they are like my sisters.

Prior to attending Algonquin college for my first year in the practical nursing program, I had a rather large break from my academic studies. Being out of school for over five years, I can’t say I remember the entirety of my experiences in English courses. What I do remember, and what stands true to this point, is that I am not very fond of English classes. From as far back as I can remember, I always struggled with spelling and grammar. Throughout elementary, secondary, and post-secondary school, English was always the one subject that I just couldn’t ace. English courses make me feel overwhelmed and anxious, as I know I am being critiqued on the one thing I am not good at.

It was a simply mundane day of summer vacation, family tradition being enacted once again on this annual trip. The Thunder Bay amethyst mines were a staple of Kaukinen summer-time ventures,and so here I was again. Doing the same thing I had done for many years, We got there, put on sunscreen, and were told to go pee before we get in.

As I walked to the parking lot where my mom had arrived to pick me up from school, my sister ran out of the car, ran towards me and yelled excitedly, “We’re going to Canada!” Having grown up in Kuwait for my whole life of 15 years, I could hardly believe my sister’s words. Going to Canada! I had only been out of the country twice, each time just to vacation and visit family in the Philippines where both my parents are from. I had always imagined what life would be like outside of Kuwait, and now it was finally going to be real. My 15-year old self was devastated - We were leaving the only home I had known for 15 years. It did not take long for my sisters’ excitement to die when we realized that we would be leaving our friends and everything we’ve ever known and not returning for a long time. Life in Kuwait for 15 years was comfortable and we were more than financially stable. Moving to Canada without a job offer in place meant that we would have to start from the beginning all over again. Goodbyes were hard but my parents encouraged us to see the joys of moving to a place where we could start over and become accepted citizens of a country. Arriving in Canada, I experienced the biggest culture shock of my life. Vancouver, BC was cold, wet, and loud. I had thought adjusting would be relatively easy; I spoke English with a slight accent but I was very shy that it confused some of the other kids to think I couldn’t speak English. I did not understand the culture, which took a

Toronto airport isn’t my favourite place. Especially on christmas day of all days. Most people are spending it with their families or going away with their families, but not me. I am currently waiting by myself in this huge airport that is filled with way too many people. I was headed to England by myself at 16. Keep in mind, I technically wasn’t going to be in England alone, I was just flying alone. My best friend and her family live there. You are probably thinking why on earth are you best friends with someone in England if you live in Canada. Ah, well let me tell you. It’s not a long story, I promise.

Last summer, my family and I took a trip to New York City. We’ve visited this city about five years ago, but I didn't remember much since I was only eleven years old. This trip changed my mindset on life. I got to experience the unexplainable and took pictures that were priceless. This trip is definitely a trip to remember and will always be special to me.