Last day of sophomore year was so exciting. I had just completed my first year at a new school and I was looking forward to spending a summer with my new friends. After a couple days of doing nothing but lying by a pool my mom reminded me that it was time to pack for the National Young Leader Conference. I had been invited to this conference during the winter and it seemed like a good way to immerse myself in a environment that I didn't know much about. Politics, history, and debate have never been very interesting to me/ I didn't know much about. This conference in Washington D.C. seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about topics I did not really know much about. About 300 teens from all over the United States gathered in D.C. for 2 weeks for this amazing opportunity. Upon my arrival I was in complete shock and saw about 299 unfamiliar faces. We broke into our Leadership Groups which consisted for about 15 students. I felt like my mouth was glued shut and it was unable to open because I just felt like I could not carry conversation with any of these other teens. I immediately started comparing myself to the others and felt like I was not as smart as them, not as well rounded, and overall just not as "good" as them. I finished my first 3 days in D.C. in my bed hysterically crying wishing to go home, go to the Vineyard with my family, sleep in my own bed, the list went on and on. One morning I had called a friend from home and she told me to think about where I was, the opportunity I had in front of me, the information I could learn, and how I was acting bratty about the whole situation. I finally gave this conference a chance and took everything in a could in my remaining 10 days. I spoke up in all of the discussions and gave my input, I made friends from states I never thought people lived in, and learned so much from every experience I was offered. Coming from Newton, MA, having a private school education, I never realized that my mind was contained by a bubble in a way. All the people I met in D.C. gave me different prospectives on life and how fortunate I am. Next time I am in a situation like this, I know to embrace it from the start. My one regret about this was being so close minded the first four days of the conference.
I would be so nervous to go to the conference and to meet new people in a new city with new surroundings, so I am glad you got something great out of it. This is very well written!!
ReplyDeleteI liked this cause i know a lot of the time i can be a closed minded person and i always strive to keeping an open mind about things. I can relate to this because many times i have been places i don't wanna be and they have turned out great
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that your friend gave you that extra push to really appreciate the opportunity you have at hand. Sometimes we all need that extra push or need to hear advice from someone else to realize the the good you could be getting out of the situation and it's always reassuring.
ReplyDeleteI can understand how you could feel out of place. I was invited to the conference too but I felt like I wouldn't be able to keep up with everyone there because I didn't really know anything about politics. I think it was really brave of you to go and awesome that you were able to really put yourself into the experience and learn something new.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to a few posts about being away from home. I can relate to how you feel when you just want the comfort of the things that are familiar to you, such as your summer house and your own bed. You paint a good picture with your words about your emotions. Good job
ReplyDeleteI like how you were so open about your experience and being in a new place. It sucks being new sometimes, especially when you're out of your comfort zone. It's good that in the end you were able to enjoy yourself and really get something out of the conference.
ReplyDeleteas you know I take the prize when it comes to homesickness so i completely know where your coming from. I loved the idea of 299 unfamiliar faces staring back at you and the way your described your comparisons. Im so glad you had such an amazing experience. love you
ReplyDeleteEmily this is really well done! I can totally relate to being in a totally new situation and not knowing what to do and not wanting to talk. But when you were put in that situation you realized that this is a great experience. You did a really good job I loved that it related to so many other situations that other people could go through. :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds pretty intimedating, but it's so great that you managed to speak up and be a part of the experience. Sounds like you went out of your comfort zone, that's so brave of you.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post. The fact you decided to open up to everyone and the conference is good because now you have learned something from it. I think this is a common situation with a lot of kids. I've felt this way in situations where I don't know anybody.
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