Finding myself in a different light.

by Diane Mbahoze (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Costa Rica

Being originally from Rwanda, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would find myself in Costa Rica. Everything was monotone and predetermined, nothing went out of the norm in mine or my friends' lives. That remained so until August 2017, when I received a scholarship and went to study in Costa Rica for 2 years. The first week of this adventure were the most first I'd had in such a short time. First time travelling abroad, speaking english only, meeting people with so many different origins and beliefs. I was mind-blown by the amount of information I had to assimilate in my first week. This was also the time I realized that there's so much we can not learn in one place, as opposed to another. There's so much we don't become or learn about ourselves if we don't move places. Diversity was a new concept to me, and coming from a culture that's relatively homogenous, and having very little exposure to other culture, it was quite a cultural shock. I had to learn everything from basics. I had to learn that some people may not use binary pronouns and that's their right, that not all people hold the same beliefs as I, and most importantly, that we can still be friends, love, and respect each other despite the differences. This made me question a lot of my previous beliefs and ideas that were mostly based in stereotypes. How often do we ignore a potential best friend just because we held notions of prejudice? How many opportunities are lost? Is there really nothing to learn from our own differences? My eyes were opened to the similarities we all have across all cultures and beliefs. The need to give and receive love, the kindness and hope among strangers. I saw myself and my experiences in children learning to walk and speak, and in teenagers who despite our differences were also learning just like me. We are not that different after all. There is no need to fight or disagree over who's right or wrong. We can have different beliefs and still coexist in harmony. My travel experience taught me to appreciate diversity and ultimately recognize the similarity within everything and everyone.