Finding Me free essay sample

Usually when I tell someone that I plan to major in Archaeology they give me a sideways glance, then they exclaim on how cool and interesting that would be. Some people even ask how I came up with a crazy idea as that. To answer their question I start from the beginning. The beginning would be that growing up I have always wanted to be something I saw on the television. I wanted to be a doctor because I grew up watching ER. When I was thirteen I found the glorious job of a Forensic Anthropologist on the hit television show Bones. But soon after I decided that maybe just a CSI would be enough. Then when I hit high school I decided that I needed to get my head out of the clouds and find something that might be more practical and less glorified on television. I found myself drawn back to the medical field. We will write a custom essay sample on Finding Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My mom is a radiological technician and one of my aunts is a nurse so I thought I might have a calling in the medical field. I stumbled across physical therapy. Something special about me is once I set my mind to something I am in, all in. I found a list of colleges that were the best for physical therapy and made my plans, I am also a big planner. I thought I had my whole life set. That was until I took a trip with a group from my school to Italy and Greece. Ever since I was a young child I remember wanting to go to Italy. My great grandmother, who was also my best friend, migrated from Italy. But when I was six she passed away. The want to go to Italy became a need. The trip was amazing. I made new friends, ate new food, and was introduced to the beautiful life of the Ancient Romans and Greeks. I got to stand in the Roman Forum where great orators spoke and the Vestal Virgins kept the flame burning. We ran the race where the Greeks held the first Olympics. I got to stand under the paintings of Michelangelo and was moved to tears while standing in front of his Pieta. That was all so amazing, but the most life changing moment came when we went to Mycenaean. Our tour guide showed us the family graves and walked through the infamous lion gates. At one point he told us that archaeologist from a university were still digging. In that moment my whole life plans changed, because in that moment no television show mattered or trying to follow in the steps of my mother or aunt. In that moment I found me. So as my dad jokes and calls in agriculture or my friend tells me to go find a dinosaur I will laugh. I’m not going to laugh because they are funny†¦which they are not. I am going to laugh because when I think of archaeology I think of the beautiful, warm Greek day when I found myself. For all the people that think archaeology is odd for me to find myself doing, maybe they are right, but being odd is what I want to do. Archaeology is going to be what makes me happy. And they all say, all you ever need in life is what makes you happy. Finding Me free essay sample I packed another duffel bag to the point where I could barely zipper it closed. I headed downstairs for another weekend away from home and yet another lengthy car ride, consisting of naps and bags of goldfish. My mom and I drove through the night, pausing at rundown rest stops (of which are all too familiar) to take a break from the seemingly never-ending journey. Once we reached the hotel room, we instantly fell asleep upon contact with the white sheets. The following morning included mediocre buffet breakfast and more time in the car to arrive at the final destination. Until last year, I played for lacrosse and volleyball club teams that required attendance to tournaments out of town almost every weekend during the year. I dreaded the long weekends cooped up in a dimly lit hotel room, mindlessly staring at the television and avoiding my teammates. I would glance through social media to see all the things I was missing out on back at home, jealous of the memories my friends were making without me. We will write a custom essay sample on Finding Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It took my mother dragging me out of the hotel room before I realized that these trips did not have to be terrible after all. We found the best coffee shops or restaurants around town and made it our mission to experience them like the locals. In addition to searching for swanky restaurants, my mom also suggested that my family participate in educational activities while out of town, so in the bigger cities we visited art museums. While visiting Washington, D.C. for a volleyball tournament, I was convinced this trip would end up in the books as one that was no fun. Because we had some free time during this weekend, my mom and I paid a visit to the National Gallery of Art. The moment I sauntered into one of the galleries, I was mesmerized. I stared in awe at the countless walls in front of me, covered with canvases depicting masterpieces that I had only ever seen in books or on the Internet before. With works by Pissarro, Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh surrounding me, I found myself suddenly engrossed in the stories that these artists were trying to tell. I made it my priority to visit the museums when participating in tournaments in Philadelphia and Cleveland to absorb all the information that I could in the short hour that I had in between games. Soon I began to look forward to tournaments, not because of the athletic activities, but because of the museum visits that we always carved out time for. These international artists and the messages conveyed through their paintings sparked my interest in learning more about the world’s languages, cultures, and histories. Italian class at school became relevant because I realized that I had the privilege to become fluent in a timeless language, which would give me the ability to later learn about Italian culture. My closed mind was suddenly opened; I could see the world in a different way than I did before, I yearned for opportunities to learn something new. I became more comfortable exploring the world outside of my hometown and started paying more attention to global news. I craved to actively understand the world’s issues as events happened. I made frequent visits to the local art museum, and could still find something new to marvel at every time. These expeditions influenced many of the classes I selected as part of my senior year class schedule and guided me to decide what I want to study for the next few years of my life. Although I have missed out on countless social events while away many weekends, I learned there is so much information about the world that cannot be explored while trapped in a hotel room, mindlessly texting my friends or watching a low-rated reality show.