I am a “nontraditional” (older, return) student and an only child who grew up in very Rural Pennsylvania, surrounded by farmland and forest. The last house I lived in (with my parents) was surrounded by 10 acres of land, most of which was cornfield! I remember always feeling very antsy and anxious to leave. I got my driver’s license the moment I turned 16 and began going to Philadelphia (the nearest city, about 40 miles North) every weekend that I could, with friends, to see concerts and walk around on South Street. I have since spent my life living in major cities and traveling as far and as much as I can. I’d say that I grew up in a home that transitioned from working class to middle class. Now I live on the East Side of Seattle with my husband and 7 year old son. My husband also grew up working to middle class though I think now we fall under “upper middle class”. We both grew up as “latchkey kids” which feels like it had a strong influence on our sense of independence and how we view the world.
In my mid 20s I lived in Prague for three years which was one of the biggest and most life changing experiences I’ve had (second only to being a parent!) It caused me to take a closer look at and think about my habits and ways of living, as an American. It also made me realize how privileged I am to have an American Passport, allowing me to pick up and go pretty much anywhere I felt like going at any time. I realized it was also fairly easy (relatively speaking) for me to simply move to another country and that I would often be given priority in the visa application processes. I often have to remind myself that it’s not that easy to travel for everyone (including others in the US) and that the majority of the world isn’t as accessible to everyone.
I’ve always had a love of languages and learning world languages but living in Prague – a major city where most people spoke English as well as Czech – where I learned how just trying to speak even a few words or simple phrases in someone’s language can be a huge leap in developing relationships, connections, and trust.
Lastly, I grew up in a very non-religious household. I am very much not religious, myself, though I don’t identify or want to be labeled as “atheist.” I consider myself to be very open minded and curious though religion is, admittedly, my achilles heel. I don’t hold prejudice against anyone for their religious beliefs, but I do have to challenge myself more to understand other viewpoints that may be influenced by or rooted in religious belief.