One experience that left a significant impact on me took place in a mountain outside of Tirana, Albania.
Albania on its own was a very mindset-changing experience as I had never been to Eastern Europe or any country similar to Albania. Coming from Western Europe and the US, it was a very different cultural experience than I was used to, lower GDP and higher unemployment rates, coupled with a strong culture centered around family and traditional values.
On my second day of the trip my friends and I decided to take a cable car to the top of a mountain, which had beautiful views
Spontaneously, my friends and I opted to do the seven-mile hike down the mountain instead of taking the cable car back down. On the hike, we passed a local family hiking up the mountain. Although they didn’t speak any English, they gave a very pleasant greeting and tried to communicate with us even though it was difficult. After they walked away, the interaction, coupled with my whole experience in Albania, opened my eyes to be more appreciative of nature, my family, friends, and just being present throughout life. Although, of course, financial stability and academics are very important, I think coming from a competitive, Western backround I learned a lot from this trip to Albania on how to balance other parts of my life and not get overwhelmed by school.