Essay 1

In my 28 years of life I have been many places and experienced many cultural environments. Having lived in seven different states from coast to coast, some of my greatest senses of culture shock were right here in my own country. Serving in the military also exposed me to just about every upbringing a person could have. I learned at a young age that people are extremely perceptive when noticing character differences. If there is one thing I have learned through all the different environments I have found myself in, it’s that everyone can relate to a smile. The military also taught me to always understand where I’m at, what I am, how to get back to a safe place, and to trust my instincts.

I think the most unique experience I have ever had was a solo trip to Phuket, Thailand. I decided to spend a few days there for my 27th birthday. I had always been interested in Thai culture. I also understood that Phuket was known for welcoming strangers and that the American dollar could take you a long way. I found a nice hotel facing the ocean but spent very little time there. Never in my life have I met so many warm friendly people. Even when I got out of the tourist traps and explored some of the more remote places of the country everyone I met seemed to have a vibrant sense of peace about them. If there was anything I could change about the trip it would have been to study the language a little more.

On my birthday I took a trip to the Khao Sok National Park to ride an elephant through the oldest rain forest in the world. I went in the middle of the rainy season so the rain would sporadically pour for a while and then stop. We visited a little village in the middle of the forest and waited for the rain to let up before climbing on the backs of the elephants. I’ll never forget how satisfied the people of this village seemed with their simplistic lifestyles. I almost felt envious of how stress free they seemed. Then I quickly realized that these people...