The Italian girl --Lauren

It’s crazy to think how big this world is. Our lives only capture what we see, what we go through, and our perspectives on life. As of 2013, there are about 7.125 billion people on this Earth, which shows how little we are compared to everyone else. I had the chance of meeting a girl from Italy during my senior year of high school, because she came to my school as a foreign exchange student. I had her in my government class, and by just looking at her, I wouldn’t expect her to be from Italy. In the beginning of the first semester, we had not sit close to each other, and I didn't even know her name, but I knew that she was a girl that I had not seen before. I noticed that when we would do presentations, she would not go up, so I therefore assumed she was shy. However, I later learned that she did not want to present in front of the class because she had a thick Italian accent. About 2 months into the school year, we happened to sit right next to each other, and that is when we met. She told me that she was a foreign exchange student and immediately I asked her so many questions about her country, (many of which were probably ridiculous). I was so shocked to think that I met somebody from a different country. Later that day, we exchanged numbers, she ate lunch with us, and met my twin and other friends. From that day on, our friendship flourished and we have become best friends. I have had many friends throughout my young life, however this friendship has been the strongest, and has been nothing but good memories. It’s crazy to think that that you can know someone for less than a year, and be better friends with them, compared to someone who you've known for many years. Meeting my Italian friend has opened my eyes to so many new things and to remember to always live in the moment. This experience has reminded me that we as teenages tend to be comfortable with the group of people that we already hangout with, and therefore most of us do not care to meet new people. However, if I hadn’t introduced myself to the girl, I would have never established a good friendship with her. So many of us also think that the world revolves around just us, and that we are the only people who live on this Earth, but we need to come to the realization every now and then, that there are so many other people from different cultures, backgrounds, and even countries. The Italian girl shared with me so many of her traditions, and shed some light to me about her culture in Italy, which reminded me how close minded we can be sometimes about where other people come from. My Italian friend will soon have to go back to Italy in June, however, I know that we will always be friends in our hearts and souls. This experience will always be something that I will cherish and remember. It is also a reminder to open your eyes and hearts to new experiences, and people, because you never know if something beautiful can happen...