On winter break of 2012, I traveled to Europe with my family. We went on a 14-day trip to Germany, Italy, and the UK. Since my parents are known to be regular planning-freaks, every moment of our stay was carefully organized. Whether we were going on bike tours or visiting castles, the days were packed with various activities to ensure we never wasted a second, and up to the eleventh day, everything was going well. We had gone to the Coliseum and visited Amsterdam, the only thing remaining in the itinerary was our long-awaited trip to Wales. We had paid a tour guide to take us through the country's most beautiful sights, and things appeared to be going as planned. It wasn't until midday when suddenly the tour guide took the wrong turn, and we ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere.
At first, my parents were outraged; someone had ruined their carefully sought out plan. But as the tour guide got down from the car to ask for directions, he was amazed by what he saw. Across a tiny brick path and up a few rock steps, rested a giant lake, surrounded by hills and pine trees. The guide quickly called us to see the beautiful sight. The sun was setting, and the pink clouds painted the clear water a purple tone, it was breathtaking. After that day, our trip returned to normal; we continued with our activities until we went back to Lima. Although in summation, we encountered many beautiful scenes, stumbling upon the hidden lake in Wales was the most memorable part of our trip. Now, there is a moral to this story, and it's about life and the errors one commits. On my trip to Europe, the path we took didn't end up being a wrong turn because something came out of it, and much like our small detour, life happens the same way. If you look back at your experiences and find yourself with regrets, think about all the positive repercussions that event had. Every step you take in life is essential. All of the detours and wrong turns will get you exactly where you need to be. I was reminded of this lesson about two months ago when I was planning my summer internship. I had drawn out a schedule for the month of February, where I was supposed to fulfill my internship from the first to the twenty-ninth. I was set to go when suddenly, my mentor called to cancel. I was shocked and pretty worried, my perfect plan had been ruined (sounds familiar?). Since I knew I had no time to waste, I began calling contacts and asking my parents for their advice. In the end, I found out that my father's close friend was married to the manager of Peru's forensic laboratory, so I decided to give him a call. He offered me an internship at his lab during the last weeks of February, and since I was desperate I took it. Not long after accepting the opportunity, I realized I had the first weeks of the month free; So I took the time to plan a trip to visit colleges, and it was an incredible experience to have. In the end, I was able to visit universities, have ACT classes and work my butt off in an internship that allowed me to grow as a person. Although things didn't go as planned, and February ended up being a pretty intense month, I can conclude that I wouldn't have had it any other way. If there is one thing I know for certain, it's that life is utterly unpredictable. Events transpire quickly, and for the most part, things don't go as planned. If you look at your experiences in retrospective, it's easy to spot out the things you would have done differently, but try and think of what you'd never change. The things we do and what happens to us shape us into the persons we are supposed to become. If my internship mentor wouldn't have cancelled, then I would have never interned at the forensic lab and gone to the university visits that changed the list of colleges to which I will apply. Forgive me for the cliché, but in life, everything happens for a reason. Actions lead you, mistakes prepare you, and wrong turns can take you places you never thought you'd go.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
INNOVATE“The earth has music for those who listen.” MY BLOGS:
March 2017
CATEGORIES |