Nobonita Chowdhury
Most people in Bangladesh apply abroad after finishing high school. My situation, on the other hand, was a bit unique. I started applying abroad before I was even done with my O’Levels. My main reason behind applying was neither independence, nor the opportunity to have a cool experience (well, maybe partially). It was more about leaving behind the wrath of private tuition centres. I still remember my father laughing when I told him, which wasn’t until much later after I applied. “Such a big leap to take for a trivial matter,” he said. But nonetheless, he supported my decision, allowing me to have what I would call the two most adventurous years of my life.
When I first moved into the Lincoln Academy dorm, I had a difficult time adjusting. I quickly realized that I was among very few international students who were also fluent English speakers. And unfortunately, that worked to my disadvantage because the international students felt intimidated to speak to me. Eventually we did become close friends, but the first three months were a challenge. In time I learned to do my own laundry, become organized, and compromise with a roommate. But once I started adjusting, the real adventure began.
My closest friends in the dorm included a Ukranian girl named Karolina, a Turkish girl named Simay, a Chinese girl named Hindley, and two Vietnamese girls, Dung and Amy. We were all polar opposites, but in time became best friends. The American school system has three week long breaks: thanksgiving, winter and spring. During these breaks the six of us went on all girls’ getaways to places like New York, Boston and Key West. While living in the U.S, I did more travelling in a year than I did back in Bangladesh. The spring break of my senior year was still the best though, for we all went on a Europe trip together.
Living in Maine had its pros and cons. For instance, as there wasn’t any public transport around, I was basically stuck indoors until the school organized a trip. I often received stares from people for being the only brown person within a ten mile radius. But they were friendly stares. People in Maine are generally friendly. They greet you when you walk down the road, and are just genuinely interested in learning more about others. This unfamiliar friendliness took me a while to get used to. If you like doing winter sports or being near the ocean, then you’ll love Maine.
I received my scuba certification there, along with an overall Marine Studies and Exploration Certificate. Aside from that I also did competitive Nordic skiing and snowboarding in the winter (horrible at both, unfortunately) as well as dog sledding and snowshoeing for fun. If someone had asked me where I saw myself in two years back when I started high school, my reply would not have been Maine. It’s amazing how unexpected life can be. Three years ago, I didn’t even know Maine existed. And now three years later, I am writing a personal account on my experiences there.