The first document I have chosen to provide is my birth certificate. I was born in Cairo, Egypt. This piece of paper is a very important part of my cultural identity as I am only Bulgarian – I do not have Egyptian citizenship, and I do not identify as an Egyptian. This is the root of much frustration between the new people I am introduced to and me. It shows that just because a person was born in a specific place, that does not mean that they identify themselves as part of that specific culture, as most people assume.

The second document is a photo of me from 2015. It was taken by a classmate of mine in our high school’s media studio called “MediuM”. This high school is a massive part of my life because it helped me figure out my goals for the future. I was a Digital Design and Media major and this media studio and my classes showed me what I wanted to study in the future (currently present). Essentially it helped me form a vague idea of what I want to be when I grow up.

The third one is my acceptance letter from Suffolk University. I remember when I opened the website to check if I got in or not. I was very excited to read that letter. I got even more thrilled when I learned that I got an immense Dean’s scholarship, which would cover a big part of my tuition fee. Bulgaria is a small country that could offer so only so much. On top of that, my family’s financial situation is not good enough to cover the full tuition for four years, so getting an excellent scholarship was of significant importance.

The fourth document I chose is my travel receipt from one of my flights to Boston. The story behind this ticket is very inspiring to me. I came to the US for the first time in my life on the 7th of August 2018, and I had the most traumatizing six months of my life. I was still 18 years old when I landed at the Boston International airport, and I remember I was filled with joy and excitement. I knew I had begun a new chapter of my life, and I was genuinely interested to see what it had in store for me. Although I had always been very mature for my age, and I have always felt independent and free of other people’s judgment about me, the moment I stepped foot out on the sidewalk of the airport, I felt truly terrified. The more I filled my lungs with Bostonian oxygen, the more I acknowledged that I had no idea how to do whatever I was supposed to do here (those were my thoughts at that specific moment). How exactly was I supposed to live and study here? How does one survive in this place alone? My perceptions of how independent and energetic young person I was were shattered into a million pieces, as I realized that I did not know how to be an adult and take proper care of myself. Boston is a huge city, compared to where I came from, and I didn’t really know anybody.  It was truly challenging, but it was certainly worth it. I learned a lot in the past year. Although it was very hard for me at the beginning, I do not regret going through it, as it helped me get a better understanding of myself as a person. It empowered me and helped me collect all the pieces I shattered at the airport one year ago, and it showed me the ways to put them back in place so that I can rebuild (once again) my perceptions of myself as a person more accurately.

The last personal document is a handmade greetings card from my best friend, Ilina. Ilina is my closest friend since elementary school, and she helped me go through that rough couple of months at the beginning of my US journey. Despite that she decided to stay in Bulgaria, she has always been there for me, and she fails to let me down, which I love about her. I appreciate every little thing about her and the fact that she probably cares more about me than I do for myself. The greetings card has a “Merry Christmas” text on top in English and a “Happy Holidays” text in Bulgarian that can be seen only when you open the card. This card proves to me that no matter where I go, I will always have my best friend’s support and that I am still welcome to go home because I have people who love me for what I am. No matter how many cultures I adopt throughout my life, being Bulgarian will always come first and it will always stay with me no matter what.