Personal Narrative: Half Baked Cake

I am what my uncle always calls a “Half-baked cake”. I was born in India, raised in Kuwait, cultured in America, and am currently living in Qatar. Although one would say that’s only four countries, I was transferred to different ovens while still being baked.
Moving to and settling in different countries had the most significant impact on me. When a person has lived long enough to learn and adapt to the cultural, social, and behavioral values and traditions but hasn’t lived long enough to call those values and traditions his/her own, the person has gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience but has lost his/her sense of identity.
One of the biggest challenges - however, most rewarding - I’ve had to face was moving to a completely different

continent across the world to live in the United States of America. Watching hollywood movies and saying ‘What’s up dude’ didn’t help. I had seen people with attire that would be considered vulgar and inappropriate in other countries, heard an accent that was hard to understand, and visited places that I could have only dreamed of.
But the two things that shaped me into who I am are diversity and education. Never before in my life have I seen people from various races/ethnicities sit in one classroom. Studying in a diverse school, I have heard different perspectives and met different people. This experience has made me more tolerant and open-minded through the exposure of people from all religions, gender identities, and races.
Furthermore, I learned that education is not only measured with academics. Extracurriculars contribute to education quite significantly and help one mature.
As a Varsity soccer player, co-founder and vice-president of the South Asian Student Association, President of Best Buddies, and member of several other clubs and organizations, I have gained skills and experience that books couldn’t offer.

I wouldn’t have known how to speak in public without my involvement in debate, wouldn’t have made long-lasting friendships with my soccer teammates, or wouldn’t have learned to be a great team player.
While many believe that my circumstances make me unlucky, I am proud and happy to have been blessed with such an opportunity. It’s no doubt that there were many hardships and struggles that me and my family had to face: I had to leave my friends and home, adjust to living in a new country etc. But those hardships have only made me stronger. I’ve gained more friends, experienced diversity, and etc.
Even though the term ‘Half-baked’ is an accurate representation of my character, there is a slight difference. Partially baking a cake would lead to an unappetizing result which we would expect, but when it comes to people, the unexpected happens. We get an opportunity that no fully-baked cake gets: to be able to explore the many different views around the world and finally form our own identity and maintain it despite the immense influential heat of the

oven.