The moment I entered my new school, I campaigned to be School Captain, I founded an association: Model United Nations, I participated in Chinese debating conferences, I volunteered to take care of Giant Pandas, I auditioned to be Superman’s girlfriend in the school play, I created a volleyball team. Was I good at all these things? Of course not. But it is not a matter of being the best, it is about trying new interests, developing new hobbies, learning how to be a leader and a team player; most importantly, it is about being open to new experiences.
After having lived in China for 5 years and upon obtaining my International Baccalaureate Diploma, it was time to leave “home.” Knowing that it would be hard for me, my father came to visit for the third time. Staying in China with me for a whole month to be physically there to support me. He attended my graduation ceremony where I delivered the speech, he met all my teachers and friends again and, most importantly, he gave me one of the best presents ever received: I had the chance to say my “I will see you later China” in an incredibly three-week trip around Hainan province. Three weeks of travelling on trains, hiking to see hidden waterfalls, riding horses through monasteries in thunderstorms, eating fried rice and noodles. Three weeks of being completely spoiled and having amazing father-daughter time.
Indeed, China taught me a lot of things. One of the most important ones being that people might say you are crazy if you do not do things the conventional way. But the people who truly love you, in my case my family, will always be there to support you in whatever decision you make. That is what matters: true genuine love.
After the amazing Chinese trip, it was time for university. “They are the best years of your life,” people around me said. But, after China how could I have believed them? Well, it is not comparable. China shaped who I am and thus, I will always feel half Chinese half Spanish, but the Netherlands is an incredible country. Studying International Business Administration in Erasmus University has been movie-like. I have met incredible like-minded international individuals who have become family. I am cognitively and emotionally challenged almost every day. I am able to set goals and accomplish them. Being a second-year university student, I have engaged in so many extracurricular activities: Representative at the Faculty Council, Women in Leadership Coach, Chinese Student