Life is changing fast

Life is changing fast, is it really? Well for me it is. I have started a journey called USA 8 months and 5 days ago. In those 8 months I have changed a lot. But everything looks like it happened yesterday.

When I remember, tests and interviews, round after round. And then I got a phone call saying "Congratulations Nikola, you are going to the USA for one year. You passed all the tests". Like it was yesterday, I am saying goodbye to my parents. Airplane for the first time in my life, night in Washington and then coming to Iowa. And from then until now, 8 long months have passed. I think I changed in that period of time. Hopefully it is a good change.  It is a change in mental way. I have different perception and understanding of the world around me. When I came here I was just a regular teenager, with all typical problems one teenage boy can have. But after being here, I realized how shallow some of my thinking's were. I was thinking what phone to buy or something irrelevant like that (Not to offend anyone, phone choice can be really important to some people). But now, after being separated from my love ones for 8 months (It was my choice to come here, just to make it clear) I have different vision of what is really important in life. People are! After staying here, I realized how much my parents and my friends meant to me and how valuable they were. I did not understand it at the time, but that is what you remember when you feel alone. You do not remember phone you had, you remember people you loved and that loved you, and all the good feelings you had when close to them.

I am thankful for the opportunity to come here, I know it will help me a lot in future life. One thing is for sure, it made me stronger. Now from this perspective, if I had chance, I would do it all over again the same. This trip that is coming to its end, for me meant a great deal. I am stronger for experience, for connections and for friendships. And it also made me realize significance of some things in life. It made me realize that even tough we argued some times, my parents are irreplaceable for me. When thinking there was a chance not to see them again. And I had so many things to tell them. But one thing is most important-Thank you! Thank you for raising me and trying to make a good person out of me. Thank you for always keeping me on correct path. Thank you for everything you did for me! I love you! I am still just a regular teenage boy, only difference is that I have learned important life lesson on time, while I still have all the people I care about. Some people do not learn that lesson on time. That is why you should always show appreciation for everything people do for you. It is not hard to be nice!

All best,