The Rhopalocera flies among the animal kingdom, sharing a mutual goal with me: we both learned to live in constant transformations. Like humans, these insects inhabit the planet in constant evolution until they can fly by themselves. This majestical arthropod, also known as the butterfly, showed me that growth and change do not have to be sorrowful, and they can occur as joyfully as one wishes. I always endeavored to improve myself during my childhood: nothing was ever enough. I wanted to be smarter, taller, and simply “greater.” Consequently, I constantly sought transformations before they were supposed to happen and often got disappointed when those transformations didn’t fulfill my expectations. Indeed, I had never realized how this idea would shift: with more responsibilities, I wanted to stop time as I grew up. However, as my friend reminded me that one is not always equal to one, I realized that growth and evolution are necessary for humans, and one significant change led to multiple transformations in my life. I remember vividly when my chrysalis phase began. Like a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly, I also transformed myself. In 2019, my family and I moved to the United States, searching for a higher-quality education experience for two years. However, I feared not being able to adapt to this new reality. It was tough for me to leave my family, friends, and dreams behind and move to a country with a different culture. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to go, and this mindset transformed the supposed positive change into a nightmare. During the first months, I realized I wasn’t living this experience to the fullest: I was physically in the United States, but my memories and fears tied my soul and mind to Brazil. Nevertheless, this feeling of restraint toward my past changed, and I could see myself living in my present. It wasn’t a great event that made me change my view: I just needed a simple “snap” to realize the mistake I was committing. By attending the Central Florida College Fair, I became fascinated by the incredible opportunities waiting for me. I decided that more than studying in the United States for two years, I would attend college and build my life in this country. My perspective on transformation changed, and I started to perceive the world as a cocoon—a place where humans should evolve. And finally, my butterfly wings provided me a chance to fly. Through the next phase, the butterfly taught me to rejoice as I flitter among life's flowers and enjoy moments as if they were the last. I made new friends and set new goals, and I realized I wouldn’t leave my family and friends behind because distance couldn’t separate souls meant to love each other. Like a butterfly, I needed to adapt to a new environment, shield myself against words of discouragement, and undergo changes to facilitate the metamorphosis of my life. I also became more self-confident and self-motivated: I realized I couldn’t rely on others to fill my life with purpose, and I started to fly even in terrible storms because if I stopped, I couldn’t evolve. Everyone has their colors, and I matured my colors throughout my life. Colors that I aspire to spread to the world, knowing that they can transform disdain into respect, segregation into unity, and the immoral into ethical. Life is about transforming, bettering ourselves, and transforming again. Sometimes it might be painful, but definitely necessary and worth it. And now is my time to fly: fly even higher and thrive among butterflies.

The Rhopalocera flies among the animal kingdom, sharing a mutual goal with me: we both learned to live in constant transformations. Like humans, these insects inhabit the planet in constant evolution until they can fly by themselves. This majestical arthropod, also known as the butterfly, showed me that growth and change do not have to be sorrowful, and they can occur as joyfully as one wishes. I always endeavored to improve myself during my childhood: nothing was ever enough. I wanted to be smarter, taller, and simply “greater.” Consequently, I constantly sought transformations before they were supposed to happen and often got disappointed when those transformations didn’t fulfill my expectations. Indeed, I had never realized how this idea would shift: with more responsibilities, I wanted to stop time as I grew up. However, as my friend reminded me that one is not always equal to one, I realized that growth and evolution are necessary for humans, and one significant change led to multiple transformations in my life. I remember vividly when my chrysalis phase began. Like a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly, I also transformed myself. In 2019, my family and I moved to the United States, searching for a higher-quality education experience for two years. However, I feared not being able to adapt to this new reality. It was tough for me to leave my family, friends, and dreams behind and move to a country with a different culture. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to go, and this mindset transformed the supposed positive change into a nightmare. During the first months, I realized I wasn’t living this experience to the fullest: I was physically in the United States, but my memories and fears tied my soul and mind to Brazil. Nevertheless, this feeling of restraint toward my past changed, and I could see myself living in my present. It wasn’t a great event that made me change my view: I just needed a simple “snap” to realize the mistake I was committing. By attending the Central Florida College Fair, I became fascinated by the incredible opportunities waiting for me. I decided that more than studying in the United States for two years, I would attend college and build my life in this country. My perspective on transformation changed, and I started to perceive the world as a cocoon—a place where humans should evolve. And finally, my butterfly wings provided me a chance to fly. Through the next phase, the butterfly taught me to rejoice as I flitter among life's flowers and enjoy moments as if they were the last. I made new friends and set new goals, and I realized I wouldn’t leave my family and friends behind because distance couldn’t separate souls meant to love each other. Like a butterfly, I needed to adapt to a new environment, shield myself against words of discouragement, and undergo changes to facilitate the metamorphosis of my life. I also became more self-confident and self-motivated: I realized I couldn’t rely on others to fill my life with purpose, and I started to fly even in terrible storms because if I stopped, I couldn’t evolve. Everyone has their colors, and I matured my colors throughout my life. Colors that I aspire to spread to the world, knowing that they can transform disdain into respect, segregation into unity, and the immoral into ethical. Life is about transforming, bettering ourselves, and transforming again. Sometimes it might be painful, but definitely necessary and worth it. And now is my time to fly: fly even higher and thrive among butterflies.

The Rhopalocera flies among the animal kingdom, sharing a mutual goal with me: we both learned to live in constant transformations. Like humans, these insects inhabit the planet in constant evolution until they can fly by themselves. This majestical arthropod, also known as the butterfly, showed me that growth and change do not have to be sorrowful, and they can occur as joyfully as one wishes. I always endeavored to improve myself during my childhood: nothing was ever enough. I wanted to be smarter, taller, and simply “greater.” Consequently, I constantly sought transformations before they were supposed to happen and often got disappointed when those transformations didn’t fulfill my expectations. Indeed, I had never realized how this idea would shift: with more responsibilities, I wanted to stop time as I grew up. However, as my friend reminded me that one is not always equal to one, I realized that growth and evolution are necessary for humans, and one significant change led to multiple transformations in my life. I remember vividly when my chrysalis phase began. Like a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly, I also transformed myself. In 2019, my family and I moved to the United States, searching for a higher-quality education experience for two years. However, I feared not being able to adapt to this new reality. It was tough for me to leave my family, friends, and dreams behind and move to a country with a different culture. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to go, and this mindset transformed the supposed positive change into a nightmare. During the first months, I realized I wasn’t living this experience to the fullest: I was physically in the United States, but my memories and fears tied my soul and mind to Brazil. Nevertheless, this feeling of restraint toward my past changed, and I could see myself living in my present. It wasn’t a great event that made me change my view: I just needed a simple “snap” to realize the mistake I was committing. By attending the Central Florida College Fair, I became fascinated by the incredible opportunities waiting for me. I decided that more than studying in the United States for two years, I would attend college and build my life in this country. My perspective on transformation changed, and I started to perceive the world as a cocoon—a place where humans should evolve. And finally, my butterfly wings provided me a chance to fly. Through the next phase, the butterfly taught me to rejoice as I flitter among life's flowers and enjoy moments as if they were the last. I made new friends and set new goals, and I realized I wouldn’t leave my family and friends behind because distance couldn’t separate souls meant to love each other. Like a butterfly, I needed to adapt to a new environment, shield myself against words of discouragement, and undergo changes to facilitate the metamorphosis of my life. I also became more self-confident and self-motivated: I realized I couldn’t rely on others to fill my life with purpose, and I started to fly even in terrible storms because if I stopped, I couldn’t evolve. Everyone has their colors, and I matured my colors throughout my life. Colors that I aspire to spread to the world, knowing that they can transform disdain into respect, segregation into unity, and the immoral into ethical. Life is about transforming, bettering ourselves, and transforming again. Sometimes it might be painful, but definitely necessary and worth it. And now is my time to fly: fly even higher and thrive among butterflies.

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” Imagine a ten-year-old kid hearing that quote from his mother because he couldn't wait 20 minutes for his mom to finish making his food because he wanted to go to his best friend's house. That was me. Always being a very enthusiastic, extrovert, and electric person, has always been a huge issue for me when dealing with time. I always wanted everything in my time, couldn't wait for events to happen, and even vomited a day before birthday parties because I wanted them to start as soon and fast as possible. Impatience used to fulfill all my thoughts and emotions, and I wasn't able to think or feel anything else, thinking about "what if" instead of living one moment at a time. Eventually, by growing up and maturing, I learned to deal with my anxiety. I learned to stop, count to ten, and breathe in and out three times. I learned to be patient by having the mindset that sometimes what a person needs is not a brilliant mindset, but a patient heart that listens. Patience became important to me because it helped me develop a healthy attitude, it put me in direct control of myself, it allowed me to gain better mental condition as opposed to others, and most importantly, it boosted my confidence and prepared me for the future challenges.

I closed my eyes, trying to feel every feature around me. The grass was a little wet due to the sprinklers. What sound was that? A bird? I knew! A woodpecker. The fountain gently splashed water on the lake. It felt as if it was raining. The breeze slowly bounced the leaves in the trees. “Vrooooooom” - the car had passed along the street. After ruminating on the nature of existence, I opened my eyes from this profound purification, and the sunset awaited me, speckling the sky with the fire of happiness like the perfectly painted artwork. Living life with several duties and responsibilities can be very stressful if we don’t take care of our mental health. Constantly I try to go around the lake in front of my house and cherish the tranquility of life. I let every thought go out of my mind and think about the good works I did today that filled my life with purpose. It is also my time to thank my family, friends, and opportunities and let my fear transform into courage. Sometimes I feel I’m programmed like a robot - study, eat, sleep, repeat. In this systematic routine, I’ve already lost myself several times in my thoughts, thinking about “what if” instead of being sure about my present. Yet, this moment of contemplating nature inspires me to live my humanity, keep a growth mindset, and be the artist of my life, painting detailedly every part of my canvas to set the perfect final masterpiece.