As a young girl, I loved to be imaginative and explore nature. I also loved to play games and sports with friends. I hated to be told that I couldn't do something or that being a girl meant I wasn't as good. Certain people in my life tried to tell me that being a boy or a girl meant that you could do some things and couldn't do other. Further, I was told that people of different backgrounds were different and that judging people based on how they looked was okay. I found it hard to believe in these concepts because, even as a young girl, I knew that people can do what they set their minds on and appearances shouldn't tell how you should treat others. I did not travel much while growing up because my parents had a large family to support. The longest trip I took before flying to China was a road trip with my friend in college. We camped and made our own food for it to be affordable.
