If there's something I got to learn after experiencing life a bit differently for almost a month, it is that my parents did a good job shielding me from a lot of things and also that people can adjust to almost any situation they find themselves in; it only takes time.
I learned this due to how hard it was for me to adapt to the new environment I found myself in; meanwhile, I saw people who were quick to fit in and were moving around like they'd been there their whole lives.
They went through every stress and challenge we encountered there like it was just another Tuesday for them. I even made a friend there who came to the hostel every night with a huge smile on his face. I remember how I would always tease him, saying that he seemed to be the person having the most fun there.
Meanwhile, I was breaking down, silently crying inside of me, and counting down the days I had to leave that place. What took most guys there a few days to get used to took me about two weeks, and when I finally adapted to it, I no longer felt like leaving.
I remember my last few days there and how I would go sit alone in the open field and just try as much as possible to take it all in, because I knew our days there were numbered and we were never going back there ever again.
I even found myself having regrets for not having adapted sooner because I had denied myself the opportunity to fully experience something that only happens once in a lifetime.
Well, if there's one thing I learned from this whole experience, it is that while it might seem like a good idea for parents to want to be there for their kids every step of the way, it's not entirely a bad idea to put them in a difficult position once in a while and watch them struggle their way out, all by themselves.
That way, when they find themselves in an unfamiliar environment, they just might be able to adapt to it quickly and find a way to survive all by themselves, because depending on the situation, they just might not have two weeks, like I did, to figure out their stuff.
P.S : I'm not saying the reason I struggled was my parents fault. As an adult, I take responsibility for that. I'm just saying that it will help a lot if they're also made aware of these things.
