The airport smelled like stale air conditioning, and I squinted at the bright lights that shone off the polished floors. I was here, in the United States of America at the Columbia Regional Airport, pulling my suitcase and heading toward a new journey — Mizzou. Getting to this point was no cakewalk, of course; it was a journey in itself. It seems like yesterday I was crossing off items on my checklist, preparing for the SATs, filling out applications, maintaining school grades, learning how to cook and managing all my finances.
Time flew by, and I received an acceptance letter from the University of Missouri and my biggest dream, to study journalism in America, became a reality.
I have been here, at MU and in Columbia, for four months now. It has been quite a roller coaster experience for me. Not only was I thrust into a new phase of young adulthood but also into a scary and unfamiliar environment. In a tornado of emotions, I have felt happy, sad, overwhelmed, excited, ashamed and proud at the same time.
It would be a huge understatement to say that America is different from where I come from, India. Starting from the most basic difference of vocabulary (calling a dustbin a trash can) — to the most impenetrable difference of the American lifestyle. I have learnt that the diversity of thought, attitudes and people here is magnanimous. I have observed and experienced the fast-paced, organized and systematic way of life.
I have found America to be a land of abundance. The abundance of choices, information and opportunities can be overwhelming, but at the same time enlightening and enthralling. During my first tour of the university, I wanted to participate in every activity, be a part of every student organization and attend every event possible. By Day 2 of Summer Welcome, I was so exhausted that I could barely stand up. I had to decide that I would go one step at a time in this new place.
America’s ability to host opposing and diverging concepts in one place was also new to me. It was like Columbia’s weather — there has been rain, thunderstorms and scorching heat all in the same timeframe. The extremity is not as simple as that.
There are extremes in personality as well. I have interacted with genuinely kind and caring people in Mizzou, people who willingly wanted to help me adjust. There were people whose diligence and will power was inspiring, these were people who worked over 40 hours a week, giving a hundred percent each day. Some people were superficial or rude, but it showed an array of personalities that this university offers.
Now the question is: What is the right way to handle these diversities? How does one cope with the challenge of self-discovery as well as that of adjusting to a new place? I have learnt that there will be hurdles no matter what, you meet difficult people and have unpleasant experiences, but there will always be that one person who makes you smile, or a stranger who goes out of the way to help you. Benevolence is a whisper and evil is a scream, heed to the whisper.
The first step is acceptance. I chose this life; you chose this life. The mind is like a 5-year-old; it whines, exaggerates, preaches self-doubt and always gets distracted. The mind must be nurtured and kept in control. And sometimes you must cope with the situation you’re in and think of it like pottery: The clay is molded itself in a hundred ways to become a divine piece of art.