Writing to Share Experiences - Essay Example

Life Experience Growing up in a large family, I was always used to having big family gatherings. In Saudi Arabian culture, family is considered extremely important. This is something that I have always appreciated about my upbringing. As I was the youngest in my family I always tended to rely on them for everything that I needed. This was not exactly a bad thing, as I could grow up without the expectations that some of my older siblings had placed upon their shoulders. Anyone who did not know my family may suspect that I was spoiled when I was a child, but I do not see it this way.

In my view, I was lucky enough to be given special attention that perhaps my siblings did not receive. As I grew to be an adult, I was allowed to develop into someone who was able to choose a path in life for himself. The journey that I have taken may not have always been smooth, but I have become a better person because of it. After I got married, I was fortunate enough to be the proud father of two gorgeous daughters. They meant the world to me. I would perhaps spoil them in the fashion that I was when I was a young child.

After some time, I grew apart from my wife and we decided to get divorced. Looking back on it now, I can see it was the best thing for me at the time. I may not have realized it then, but I needed to move on with my life. I could no longer just go through the motions and pretend to have found fulfillment in life when it was simply not true. It was only in doing this that I was able to be free to explore the possibilities that life had in store for me. The greatest and most challenging experience of my life occurred when I had the privilege of being sent to the United States of America to study.

While I was growing up, my father always told me to pursue my dreams and not worry what anyone else told me. This was especially reassuring, as I often felt inferior to my older siblings. The opportunity to go to America arose when I was working in my job. One of my superiors came to me and asked if I would be open to going to the United States of America for study purposes. I replied that I had never previously given it much thought, but I would take some time to talk it over and discuss it with my family before I gave him a definite decision.

He seemed fine with this and reminded me that this was an opportunity that I did not want to miss. Part of me felt excited at the thought of going to a foreign land—not just a neighboring Arab country, but across the vast Atlantic Ocean. The thought occurred to me that none of my older siblings had ever been blessed with an opportunity such as this before. Would any of them feel jealous if I chose to go? How would my two young daughters be able to survive emotionally without their father for such a long period of time?

Would I be able to assimilate into American society or would the pressure be too much for me? All of these thoughts entered my head as I dwelled on the decision some more. In the end, I realized that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to grasp it with both hands or else it would never be offered to me again. To alleviate my fears over the well-being of my daughters, my parents offered to help raise them during my time in America. This was of great importance to me because my children were, and still are, the number one priority in my life.

I decided to heed the words of my father and follow my dreams no matter where they took me. This meant that the feelings of my siblings were irrelevant because it was not their decision to make. As for my concerns about being able to survive in a western country, I decided to keep an open mind and try to make the most of the situation. When I first stepped of the plane at the airport, I could immediately sense that my life had turned the corner. My expectations were immediately raised because I knew that from then on I would never be the same again.

Although I am proud of my Saudi roots, I would like to think of myself as someone who is able to accept all cultures and not discriminate based on someone’s ethnicity or religion. At first this was very easy to do because I had yet to experience real American culture. After a few days, I noticed that the occasional person would glance at me with a negative look. Overall, I would say that, especially during my relatively short time in America so far, the majority of people are welcoming and friendly to foreigners.

I realize that there will always be those who will look down on me due to my physical appearance or accent. I have experienced this a few times during my brief stay at the college that I am currently enrolled at. Because I am older than the majority of the freshman (I am 27 years old), I immediately stand out due to my older complexion. The fact that I am Arab only adds to this. However, I am determined to make the most of my time in America by allowing myself to treat everyone I come across equally and also never judge someone before I know them.

My time in America may have only been brief so far, but I am sure that this is a decision that I will not regret when I look back on it. In my old age, I want to be able to reminisce about my time in the United States, however long it may be, and look back with pride that I was able to go outside my comfort zone and learn to live in another culture.