I am a child of the worldOne of the questions I was asked most often when I arrived at university was "where are you from?" Unlike most students, I couldn't quickly answer this question. While many students have spent most of their lives in one or two neighborhoods, my sense of “home” was not so simple. I was born in Canada and lived there until I was seven. then my family moved to Belgium. After five years in Belgium, we moved to Minnesota, where I spent my high school years. While I was heading off to college, my parents moved to Switzerland and have since divorced. Currently, my mother lives in Minnesota and my father in Liechtenstein. I am still a Canadian citizen, but I have permanent resident status in the United States. Although these events may have led to a confused identity and feelings of homelessness, I believe my experiences have given me a unique perspective on the world and the ability to feel "at home" wherever I am. Experiencing life in Europe has been one of the most important aspects of my personal development, as exposure to different things from a young age has given me a broad view of the world that I would not have otherwise had. not acquired by staying in one place. Daily life in a foreign country teaches patience, respect and tolerance towards people who speak a different language and have different customs. Cultural differences can make simple tasks like going to the grocery store difficult at first, but over time my family adapted to the norms of Belgian culture. The opportunity to travel across Europe also gave me a unique set of experiences that left a lasting impression on me. After all, how many ten-year-old Canadian children have been awed by the Acropolis or felt the sadness of the war cemeteries of Normandy? These experiences, combined with my Canadian heritage, provided an important backdrop for developing a sense of respect for those who are different, a feeling I lack in American society. Although my experiences abroad contributed greatly to my personal growth, they also made it difficult to identify with any one place as home. Minnesota became the closest thing to home after spending my teenage years there, but my parents' divorce during my sophomore year of college further tested my ability to maintain a sense of identify..