At the age of 20, I dropped out from school. It was a reckless decision against my parents, but I hoped to belong somewhere else.
At the age of 10, I went abroad to study. I was young and was not really aware of what I was doing. The young lady with black hair and brown eyes was just happy by the fact that she was on an airplane. But after few days of having exciting days at a new place, meeting new people and adapting to the new surroundings, the school started. I thought the school would be as much interesting as the days I had before.
Surprise! To my expectation, the kids at my school seemed a little confused to have an Asian girl as their classmates. There were only nine people in my class, who seemed much alike to the so called 'snobs'. They asked me questions like 'Where is Korea?' 'Did you watch the World Cup?' 'Is Korea next to China?' These children had no idea about the country called Korea, and therefore, could not feel any connection with me.
So whenever I got back home, I cried and cried. Some kids were calling me a bad name, while some others ignored me. When a boy named Bradly had a huge Halloween party at his place, everyone was invited, except for me. Similar situation had continued for few months. I just did not want to go to school.
But I could not always be depressed and do nothing about it. I had to get along with them. It was 'my' school and classmates. So I decided to be nice to them. I was not the shy girl who could not speak loud about what she wanted. At first, it was very awkward. However, they seemed to be surprised at my behavior and were slowly changing the way they acted upon me.
My family even invited the classmates to home and had a barbeque party. I invited everyone, not leaving anyone behind. There, we had a good time introducing different cultures, and shared many happy laughs. After that day, I made few best friends. I was invited to their birthday party, sleepover party, and even a disco party.
My six semesters in school was an unforgettable moment. It taught me how to become friends with whom does not like me, it taught me how to speak in another language, and it taught me how to understand different cultures.
Because of those happy moments, I always had wished to go back. So I took a bold step forward to quit school, and prepare for another one back in England. Suffice it to say, although I was unable to make my reckless plan to come true, I still have that desire deep in my heart.
Maybe, someday, I might go back and have a career there. Until then, I should put my best effort in where I belong, because that is what my childhood years in Derby had taught me. If you cannot control the cards you are dealt with, try your best in that circumstance. Then, you might be able to encounter a whole new situation that lies in front of you.
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