At 6:00 am, I stood in front of my apartment building, squinting at the sun rising over the Andes Mountains when a black bullet proof van started to pull in. The van proceeded to pull up directly in front of me and I was alone. Normally, I would run for my life, consumed by fright and confusion. However, I felt excitement; my life was about to change forever. I was about to begin my first job, at sixteen, over 2000 miles from home, as a summer hire at the United States Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.
As my apartment building slowly faded away into the distance, I slumped into my seat, waiting anxiously to get to the embassy. I pondered to myself, “What was it going to be like? What kind of work would I do?” I truly had no idea what to expect. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the American flag swaying in the wind and the armed soldiers who stood stationary outside the entrance. I was amazed and overwhelmed, I was about to embark on my first job not as a waiter or a babysitter but as an assistant at the U.S. Embassy overseas. My day began with the meetings required of all employees, including security briefings when I was informed about the dangers of Colombia and the measures that I was expected to take to remain safe. For instance, I was not allowed to take local taxis or travel to certain areas in Colombia. Although this may seem alarming and nerve …show more content…
I was in the center of a diplomatic mission, and I loved every minute of it. Being in the embassy every day allowed me to witness foreign relations. It reinforced my passion to inquire about world issues and comprehend the ideals of diplomacy. I had been interested in this area of work since the 7th grade when my history teacher introduced me to Model United Nations. Since then, I have “solved” countless problems through Model UN and I have a strong determination to actually find solutions to these world
As my apartment building slowly faded away into the distance, I slumped into my seat, waiting anxiously to get to the embassy. I pondered to myself, “What was it going to be like? What kind of work would I do?” I truly had no idea what to expect. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the American flag swaying in the wind and the armed soldiers who stood stationary outside the entrance. I was amazed and overwhelmed, I was about to embark on my first job not as a waiter or a babysitter but as an assistant at the U.S. Embassy overseas. My day began with the meetings required of all employees, including security briefings when I was informed about the dangers of Colombia and the measures that I was expected to take to remain safe. For instance, I was not allowed to take local taxis or travel to certain areas in Colombia. Although this may seem alarming and nerve …show more content…
I was in the center of a diplomatic mission, and I loved every minute of it. Being in the embassy every day allowed me to witness foreign relations. It reinforced my passion to inquire about world issues and comprehend the ideals of diplomacy. I had been interested in this area of work since the 7th grade when my history teacher introduced me to Model United Nations. Since then, I have “solved” countless problems through Model UN and I have a strong determination to actually find solutions to these world