Although, I have been taught to always be grateful for what I have, at times this was tough. My life in America began when I was two years old, and my family: my mother, my father, and I came to America. I was too young to remember anything, my father left our family of three that same year. Until I was six years old, I didn't know his face, his voice, his touch. When I went to school with my friends I felt different from them even at the young age of six. To me it seemed, they had everything: a family, a house, and a place among society. I, on the other hand, had no family members in America, lived in government housing in the urban poor, and struggled to relate to the American culture. To say I felt jealous would be an understatement.I felt
The book Flight by Sherman Alexie is about a 15 year-old boy named Zits. His Irish mother dies of breast cancer when he is young and his Native American alcoholic father runs away. He has lived in 20 different foster homes and has gone to 22 different schools. Zits had a very rough childhood which has led him to be a troublemaker. Later in the story he shoots up a bank and then gets shot. As a result of his death, he goes on a “flight” and lives through parts of people’s lives who’ve experienced violence, revenge and betrayal. A scene in Flight where he experiences betrayal is in the body of Jimmy. Jimmy betrays his wife then later finds out that his best friend betrayed him and so many other people. In this scene Alexie suggests that we
In the months, weeks, and eventually days leading up to my flight to Germany the panic was gnawing away at me. Despite the fact that this wasn’t the first time I was venturing out without my parents or even my first time on a plane, it was my first time for a myriad of other experiences in my life. My first international adventure, my first time living with a family that wasn’t my own, and my first time being surrounded by people speaking a different language; all of which began with a simple decision to cross the threshold between the jet bridge and the plane.
Living in the United States wasn’t any easier for my dad. Having no parents meant he had no permanent home. He lived with his sponsors that helped him come to the United States. My dad knew very little english and was enrolled into high school. There he and many Hmongs were discriminated by other students. After graduating High School my dad received his first job where he worked for minimum wage. Even though having a job my dad still had no permanent home. He moved in with his uncles that treated them poorly. My dad had to sleep in an attic that had a broken window in the harsh Minnesota winter. That night it was twenty below zero and my dad had three thick blankets on still struggling to stay warm. After thirty long years our family has came a long ways. Today we are fulfilling the American dream in the natural state of Arkansas.
The diversity of thought among people from all corners of Earth breeds an air of excitement and curiosity. Flying ignites a passion to explore new places and meet new people. I love Lincoln, Nebraska, but I love the exhilaration of new experiences that come with traveling.The unique food, culture, and architecture at every unique location taunt me, calling for me to abandon my home in search of fulfillment elsewhere. Exposure to the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Los Angeles is a breath of fresh air from the monotony of Nebraskan life. Touching down in New York City at the end of a long flight is only the start of a new journey into a melting pot laced with opportunity for those who seek it. The idea of building my own path in a hub of diversity and opportunity is beyond appealing. Traveling to new places with varying demographics and cultures spoils the explorer within me who craves interaction outside of the incubator I call
When a person is faced with an awful situation, it is all too easy to only see the negative. Flight by Sherman Alexie, focuses on this through the point of a young teen named Zits. Zits grew up in an abusive and unhealthy environment. (exsmples) When Zits turned fifteen, he met someone that calls themselves Justice who mislead Zits ino shooting up a bank. This leads to his death and a series of body shifts. These shifts make Zits reflect on his own identity and the actions he’s committed his life. By experiencing different stories/lives, Zits is able to learn that, even though there are bad things in the world, there are also many positives to go with the negatives.
During the summer after I turned thirteen, I went on a vacation that changed my entire perspective on life. “Americans are so spoiled.” I remember hearing my mother proclaim this numerous times growing up. I would shake my head or roll my eyes every time, since I never quite understood what it meant. Of course, I had nothing to compare it to. I grew up in the suburbs in a middle class family. I never wanted for anything. I heard the stories of my mother and her siblings growing up; they lived in filth, they occasionally skipped meals, all seven kids slept huddled together on concrete floors. I heard those stories as if she was saying, “…I walked a mile to school, uphill both ways…” I never could have imagined the reality of what the stories truly meant until I visited my birthplace, the Philippines, for the first time.
Have you heard about that band Twenty One Pilots? No? Well it is your lucky day because my goal is to prove to you that their music is phenomenal. Twenty One Pilots is a band made up of two members; Tyler Joseph, who is the lead singer and Joshua Dun, who is the drummer. They began in 2009 and have gained quite a fan base since then (Fred Thomas). Their unique sound and relatable music are the reasons why I believe they are the best band to ever exist.
If I could be any person for one day, I would be in the Eighty Second Army Airborne during D-Day in WWII. I want to be an Army Ranger in WWII because, D-Day was one of the most historic battles ever fought. Also, I want to see it through the soldier’s eyes, being one thousand feet above the ground looking down as flak lights up the night sky and bullet tracers pierce through the clouds. To me, the Eighty Second Airborne was one of the most elite Infantry groups ever created. They have fought in many wars and battles since the elite group was created. To be in a plane jumping into the night sky with the cold European wind hitting you in the face and the deafening sound of the planes flying overhead would be an experience that I will never forget.
Willow Marsh, a freshman at Palmyra High School, has a passion for traveling all around the United States and has shared some of her most memorable parts about this experience. In 3rd grade Willow moved from Utah to Pennsylvania and this is what really started her love for traveling. When asked why she loves traveling so much she responds with, “it’s cool to experience all that the world has to offer.”
At the age of eight, the rest of my family moved to the U.S, it was not a completely foreign country to us, American movies were played in Filipino theaters and I’ve heard plenty of stories about the country through my parents. Surprisingly, although Philippines is one of the third world country, almost everyone can speak English due the fact that English is one the primary languages spoken alongside
Twenty-plus years in acting, over 16 years of working with a major airline company and 6 years of event management coupled with her unique speaking style has equipped her with an ever-growing bona fide journey that takes audiences to a humorous, entertaining and fresh place. Traveling since she was five, Channon has visited 25 countries, 5 continents, and a limitless amount of places, giving her speeches a familiar edge filled with engaging and diverse characters from her travels. With her newfangled approach to storytelling, passion for travel and corporate background, Channon is sure to leave a lasting impression. All in all, Channon's recipe for happiness is simple; creativity, independence, traveling, and Blue Bell ice-cream (the kind that doesn't kill you of
“My love for traveling started in first grade. My family and I went to France for two weeks and my mind was blown. First of all, the idea of flying on a plane for half the day was scary. But once we landed, the fresh French air filled my nose and from then on I knew I would cherish the new experiences.”
It sure wasn’t Europe but it felt like home. Every moment from then on was filled with joy, laughter, learning, curiosity, sadness, exhaustion and much more. Our days were filled with hard work in construction, reforestation, the hospital, and mine mostly on the coffee farms, but not one of us was there to help the “poor Guatemalans who can’t do their own work” because I’ll tell you, they are very good at what they do. Rather we were there to learn about the culture, to broaden our horizons and create meaningful relationships. I learned much about coffee and the history and problems of the industry, but the real beauty is found in the relationships we formed with one another, the ones from home and the ones at home. Learning from each other and helping one another and finding that comfortable place where you feel at
Growing up I remember hardly ever seeing my aunt. She and my uncle traveled outside of the country a lot, so they rarely had the chance to visit. Every couple of months they would go on trips to places like Germany or Guam and stay for at least a week or two, even a month depending on when she would have to go back to work. The place they visited most often was Manila, which is the capital city of the Philippines. It’s also where my aunt lived until she met my uncle and moved to the United State.