Justina Cryder
On the first day of this month, I walked through Dalat’s gate, not knowing what to expect but somehow still expecting the worst. And it's not that being the new kid is new to me; Dalat is the third high school I've been to in the past three years. Still, I didn't have the best attitude about flying across the world to come to a new school in a country that I'd never visited before.
Shortly after my arrival, however, the friendly faces and voices of Dalat proved to me that I had the completely wrong attitude. While sitting in the front office and waiting with my luggage, a woman busted open the door with a grin on her face. "Justina?!" she exclaimed. I nodded my head. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Aunt Mary," she told me. "Can I hug you?" I nodded again and she opened her arms to me.
She led me to my dorm building where I was greeted with new faces and was told many names that I knew would be difficult to remember. Eventually, I went to get my schedule made, where again each administrator was kind and welcoming. The next day I came back for orientation, and I was welcomed by waving students and teachers who all seemed to know who I was.
In my first two days at Dalat, I already felt like I was family. I was struck by how willing everyone was to help me feel at home. During orientation, kids introduced themselves to me, and I realized how easy it is to make friends at a place with such genuinely kind people. After the first day of school, I was excited about my classes for the first time in years. My teachers seemed excited to teach, which made me excited to learn. Dalat made it more than easy to be the new student.
These first couple of weeks have been an amazing experience for me so far, and I can't wait to find out what the rest of the semester holds.
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