First away from home

by Rungrot Tatiyawongwiwat (Thailand)

A leap into the unknown USA

Throwback to 2018, it was just another year that I spent to volunteer, work with the community in my home country, Thailand. Flying abroad was an impossible story to happen for me as my family can't afford me for that. However, giving up was not a choice. I well realised that working harder than the other was what the only way to fulfil my dream to go abroad and it seemed that hardworking paid me back; I was selected by the U.S. embassy as one of the Thai scholarship recipients to study in America for 5 weeks in 3 states. Everything happened so fast that I still didn't believe that it was true. For my whole life, I had dreamed of taking a flight to somewhere else, and my first flight was heading America. I still remembered how my first step touched the foreign land, and it made my day or even year; I couldn't stop smiling until people stared at me. Stories of the golden state, land of the golden bridge and many golden names in California State were told by the indigenous guide. Wind and leaves flew around and touched my face, the golden gate was hiding be behind the fog, making the outdoor class that day unforgettable and imprint in my mind. Golden State was not given to this land for fun as it was well explained through the scenario of the first protected area on this earth, Yosemite National Park. Morning in the second week, I walked around the accommodation and came across a deer. I stared at her, and she stared at me for a while as if she wanted to say " What's wrong, human?" So, I left her alone and kept walking with a national park ranger to the top of the Yosemite where we could see everything around; It was so stunning that I thought it was a CG in the Hobbit. This story may not be the best story for some people but it is mine and it will be forever. Thank the opportunity to this country boy to meet various kind of best people, places and friends which are the best components of making this story invaluable.