you know you want to read it

Hey! you know you want to read my first college essay! the prompt is 'Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and it's impact on you.' its from the common app but i'm using it as my long essay for UNC. enjoy :)

There are things I’ve wanted to do all my life; go to France, go to college, get married and have kids, among other things. When presented the opportunity to go to France on a Rotary Club exchange, I pounced on it. I was paired with a French girl, Mailys, and we would spend three weeks at my house and three at her house. I was so excited! I was finally going to France! Having Mailys here was amazing; I could see her learning and growing, especially in her English. I couldn’t wait to have a similar experience in France. Whenever I thought about the trip, I didn’t really think about the challenges I knew I would encounter. I just kept thinking ‘I’m going to France! Alone!’.
The first week was unforgettable, but not what I expected. I had jet lag and my body wasn’t cooperating. Mailys’ mother and I had trouble getting along. I was totally unprepared to live with people I barely knew and who didn’t seem to like me. With time and some uncomfortable conversations, we began to better understand and accept each other. The language barrier was unpredictable. At times I couldn’t get around it, but at others it felt like it didn’t exist. Instinctively, I had been expecting my experience to be just like Mailys’. I had to adjust my thinking and focus on the positives. I was then fully able to appreciate France, from the beaches to the beautiful vineyards. By the time I had to leave, I didn’t really want to. French life had grown on me; I felt like I couldn’t leave all the vineyards and chateaus behind and I had made great strides in understanding French. On the flip side, I couldn’t wait to get home to my friends and family.
For me, this was the trip of a lifetime. The personality clash wasn’t something I had expected, but I certainly gained from it. It helped me see how different people can be; their reactions, their motives, their personalities, and the effect of their society’s expectations; but that we’re all humans with similar needs. I also took many risks and tried new things I normally wouldn’t consider. This experience helped me expand my ‘bubble’ of comfort and taught me how to handle stressful situations. I also experienced first hand how it feels to be judged critically. I’m grateful for it all, even the hard stuff. Now I know that I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it. I learned a lot about myself too, like how I react and the reasons for my actions. Most important, this experience allowed me to better understand people’s diversities and to be nonjudgmental. I enjoy challenges, and this one was right up my alley. I will continue to learn from this amazing experience throughout my life. When I go to college these lessons will help me adjust to my new environment and accept those around me. They will also aid me in the future as I help others to deal with their challenges. There were so many emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects to my experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

p.s. hope you like it, but at this point i dont really care if anyone likes it cause im sick of it. :) Oh, and I hope everyone had a good day off, I know I did :)