I believe that setbacks make you stronger.

I'm nine years old, fidgeting with the rhinestones on my "justice" top and listening to my mom go
on and on about nothing in particular. I exhale and glance out the window, only to see the plane
which would entrap me for the next seven hours. My heart hammered in my chest. Thump.
Thump. Thump.

"Group 6, boarding now."

I grabbed my dad's hand, and we set off into the unknown. Two months earlier, he had gotten a
call that we would be moving overseas to Budapest, Hungary. To be frank, the transition was
extremely difficult for me. We didn't get off to a good start, as I spent the entire flight in the
airplane bathroom discovering that I had motion sickness. When we finally arrived in Budapest
after a long and grueling trip, I didn't have enough energy to be excited for anything. Rather, I
remember the anxiety, thick like an oil spill, surrounding me.

We arrived in September, a few weeks after the school year had started. My transition into the
new school was less than ideal. I would wake up every morning with debilitating nausea,
thinking I'd throw up if I left the comfort of my room or my mom. But the minute she let me stay
home, I would feel better. Ultimately, she forced me to get on the bus through my tears, but I
appreciate the tough love in retrospect.

I ended up connecting with one girl at the new school, however, and I finally started to feel like
this place could be home. But as international schools filter kids in and out due to different
families moving, she had to leave for Korea after just two months together.

Over time, of course, things got better. I made amazing friends, and adjusted to the new school. I
stopped feeling like I was sinking in the anxiety I knew as quicksand, and I even became excited
to experience school.

While the people, the travel, and the food were amazing aspects of living overseas, the
confidence living overseas instilled in me has been my favorite. In Budapest, I also found music,
which offered me a sense of belonging. Singing is an integral part of my identity at 18, and I'm
not sure if it would be as important to me had I not been forced to move across the world at 9.

My family ultimately ended up staying in Budapest for three years instead of two, and by the end
of the time, I didn't want to leave. What felt like a major setback for me, ended up being a life
changing experience. Today, I know that there’s not a single role I’m afraid to take on. Because
of Budapest, I am empowered, fearless, and unapologetically myself.