I moved when I was fourteen, so during my very futile adolescence, which was already hard enough. I moved to a new country on the other side of the world, to learn a new language, make new friends and adapt to the new pace of school. Moving to China was a huge culture shock for me. I went from a state public school with 3,000 kids, to a private international school, with about 800 kids. The work ethic was more fast-paced and competitive. You always had to be better than the person sitting next to you. It was difficult because while I dealt with the emotional and mental stress of leaving everything I had ever known, I had to maintain good grades, meet new people, and adapt to the environment around me. Minnesota had blue skies and lush green prairies, while Shanghai had gray skies and concrete and glass buildings. I had made friends in the US who had been my friends for over 10 years and when I moved I had to force myself to be social. It put me in a constant state of discomfort, but I'm so grateful that I was moved because it taught me to accept the difficulties of change and treat them as lessons. Living in China has taught me to appreciate different cultures