Two years ago, I moved from Nevada to California. I was shifted from an environment in which I knew everyone into an area where I was surrounded by strangers who had grown up with each other. It was an immediate alteration from the life I was used to; instead of seeing familiar faces everywhere I looked, I was engulfed in a sea of strangers. In Nevada, I knew all my peers and there were the occasional newcomers, but here I was the new one.
Lucky for me, I'm not an only child and did not have to face this obstacle alone. I have my siblings by my side wherever I go and whenever I try something new; they are always there to support me and be my friend when I have none. They helped me to introduce myself to people and make new friends, but until I made connections with the people of California, I wasn't alone.
If I hadn't had my siblings to back me up, I would've felt inferior, less confident and much more intimidated about the situation of moving to a new state although, at the same time, I would've been forced to make new friends because I wouldn't have had a brother or sister to keep me company.
When placed in the situation of an outsider, you experience what you wouldn't normally feel comfortable with and learn more about yourself. I met new friends and bonded with my family; my insight into what being "the other" is like was a positive one, although if I was constantly put in similar situations, I'm not sure they would all have a positive effect. The experience of not fitting in can be found under many circumstances, and positive life lessons aren't always found from those.
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