I looked out the wide windows of Heathrow Airport and noticed the sky was filled with a light shade of gray, dabbed with only a dozen clouds. The sun tried to peak out from the clouds, glowing lightly on to my face as my friends and I were led out of the white and dodger blue Boeing 747 into the halls of Heathrow. As we looked around at the various pictures and posters on the wall, an exhilarating feeling filled my heart; I felt optimistic and accomplished. I had finally made it to London and these were welcome posters, framing the city’s famous landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, and the ever-so-famous iconic, towering London Eye.
I grinned at my friends as we made our way to the hotel by private coach. On our way we marveled at every building, person, block, car, patch of grass, and statue we laid our eyes on. To be immersed into a different culture was our goal. By analyzing all these different characteristics of a city I had never been to, I noticed that I was genuinely curious about how the city life was, what the people did for a living, why a statue stood the way it did, why a building was shaped the way it was, or how it was different or similar to something back home. I was completely willing to learn about this culture because it was completely new to me. London offered my eyes so much colorful life because of its extreme historical context. I wanted to embrace the qualities of London that I could not experience from home, such as the very narrow and crowded roads filled with an abundant number of the famous black hackney London cabs. The people utilize their city. Art sits at every block. My favorite was the ever-so long picture of colored pencils.
I was able to learn a great deal about myself because of this trip. I was so rapt about being somewhere new that I took note of everything I saw and commented on the new cultural experience. This quality of mine has always helped me channel beneath the surface of something I enjoy and appreciate the features that contrast what the modern knows as norm.
I believe our universe is a vast place of learning and hands-on experience; my philosophy is to live by learning. I have taken it upon myself to engross in the things I find interest in, whether it is through one course, a book, or even just a conversation. I am remarkably proud of myself for being diverse in this way. Nothing can overshadow this quality of me. I want to be able to learn and comprehend all of the cultures and opportunities, because being able to do so defines the kind of person I want to be: alert, diverse, and willing.
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