This is me crossing up a priest! To me, this is very bold because I value my spiritual life.

July 9th, 2014 was the day my life took a turning point. I boarded an airplane to Colombia and learned I would be staying there for the next academic year. The influx of different emotions which I felt on that plane ride took a physical toll on my body. The first thing that came to mind was my friends and everything else that I would be leaving behind. The anxiety which I felt did not diminish until a month into the academic school year. Throughout the next nine months, I resided in Cali, Colombia. I lived in my grandmother’s apartment complex, which was much smaller than my house in the states. I had not been back to Colombia since the age of four when I left; the culture shock which I experienced was immense. I had no problems communicating with others as I am fluent in Spanish, however, many of my peers highlighted my accent. Within this apartment complex, I would develop various friendships. My friends would slowly aid in my adjustment to this new culture and make me feel accepted. I engaged in various activities with these friends, and by the time the school year commenced, I felt fully adapted! I attended a bilingual school about a block away from the apartment. I learned so much at that school and met my best friend to this day, John Paul Gaviria. I saw every day at that school as a challenge to prove I belong and was capable of excelling. I finished the school year with good grades and felt self-fulfillment. From the very beginning of this ordeal, I pictured myself dreading every moment of it. However, as my time in Colombia drew to an end I cried tears of joy and gratitude for the experience. As I departed Cali I once more sat on a plane and reflected on my experiences. This trip changed my viewpoint of myself, the world, and the community around me. I viewed this trip as the catalyst for my character development throughout the rest of my life. I learned about the importance and my ability to be malleable in life. I understood the importance of determination and hard work. Most importantly I was able to embrace and accept my nationality. I also pondered over the abundance of cultures that the world has to offer, the difference and similarities we all share. I came to value my Hispanic family much more and have grown to love the Hispanic community. For this, I am truly grateful!

Regardless of the cliches and the commonly accepted cultural approach that self-love is important, I David Pino have learned over time that I must truly love and cherish myself for who I am despite my flaws and shortcomings because at the end of the day I am all I have in this world. Consequently, when I look to make decisions regarding my beliefs although it may be perceived as selfishness at times I put my self-love and acceptance first. I truly feel at times it is very difficult and near impossible to love someone if you do not even love yourself. It takes a lot of strength nowadays to be in perfect harmony and acceptance of who you are, as the negativity on social media runs rampant and heavily outweighs the positivity. Just like most, I have been ridiculed for my mannerisms and my personality, and I do not condone these behaviors rather I am in acceptance that they transpired in order to build my self-love. In reference to my relationships and aspirations, I always look to exfoliate and promote the building of self-love within others; I always try to encourage and radiate positivity towards my friends and family. Concurrently, I wish to be a physician and this is solely based on the fact I can mentally and physically help others in their life. My 18-year journey of self-love has had a monumental impact on who I am today and the decisions which I have taken, I will continue to love myself and love others for that is what we all as humans need.