The Beauty of Being a Global Citizen
Written by Zhen (Jenny) Yin
Global citizen, a new concept, which I encountered last year. While I was traveling from the United States to China, a friend of mine was talking with me, saying I was a global citizen. It was like a little spark to me when he said it. I started to think it is true that I have been a global citizen for the past few years without even realizing it. I would like to say I like being a global citizen, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to be one. Recently, my dear friends, Piero and Andrea reached out to me and asked if I would like to write a blog for their new website for New City International, I felt honored and excited for NCI and their mission. Therefore, I wrote this blog to share my personal experience as a global citizen.
I am a young professional living in New York City for the past seven years. I also lived in Kansas for three years before I moved to New York. Time really flies. Look back, ten years have gone by, and I spent the majority of my 20s living, studying, and working in the United States as a Chinese citizen who grew up in China. I still remember when I was in middle school; English became one of my favorite subjects in school. I really enjoyed reading articles in English and watching the English news channel on CCTV, which was one of the biggest TV stations in mainland China. I would join English camps when it was summer break. Some American teachers at the camp told me what the United States was like, so coming to the States had become one of my dreams.
When I was in college, I got the opportunity to come to study in the States as an exchange student. I landed at Kansas City international airport after almost twenty hours of travel, including connecting flights. I walked out of the airport; It was a bit surprising, first because of how small the international airport is compared to the one in Guangzhou. Second, because of how flat the landscape seemed to be. Is this America? It seemed quite different from what I had seen in the movies.
“Welcome!” a nice blond American girl smiled at me and helped me to move my big luggage to a school bus. She introduced herself as one of the volunteers to help international students to get to school and help them settle down. On the way to school, there was not much to see except the extensive farmland and a few houses here and there. From there, I started my three-year Kansas life. It was definitely a culture shock at first. Fortunately, I was able to adapt to it.
The two most significant barriers maybe for someone who went to live in a different country that speaks a different language are: (1) The language barrier. (2) Cultural differences. Thanks to the amount of time I spent in China to study English, I was able to get used to the English-speaking environment fairly quick. I am also very grateful for the people I met in Kansas. The people I met at the airport were volunteers from a local church. They helped us to check-in at school, go shopping at Wal-Mart, and settle at the new dorms. They welcomed us warmly like their family. Therefore, I was curious to discover the church they came from and what made them do nice things to strangers from different countries and what they believe.
It was in Emporia, a little town in Kansas; I started going to church and some fellowship groups. I had to admit that I was there for social purposes at first. But gradually it became a part of my life. Then I sensed the holy spirit. I felt there is always something out there throughout my life. I do not think it was just an accident or coincidence—something I cannot see. But I knew it was there. Something bigger and higher. And it is always there. It seems it knows every single thing I was thinking. And every single need was met. I had a bible that a missionary gave to me when I was in China, and I took it with me to Kansas. Surprisingly, I did not know God yet at that time, I picked the bible to travel with me instead of any other book I had. Therefore, I started reading it. Then, I knew there is a God, and it is true. Every step in my life, He guided me, and He will keep guiding me.
Now, I know why God took me to Kansas. Whenever I tell someone I lived in Kansas for three years, they would look at me with a confused look in their eyes and ask why, a simple answer without explanation would be, for school. However, I think the real answer is that it is a part of God’s plan. God took me to Kansas. Otherwise, I would probably never get to know him. He took me there, and every person he put in my life was a part of the plan. Therefore, I became a Christian.
A few months later, I came to New York for graduate school. New York gave me another culture shock, and it was probably even more significant than Kansas. First, people here seemed to be always in a hurry. Second, they seemed very distanced from each other. One of the suggestions I got from one of my friends as to how to live like a New Yorker is not to smile at strangers in the subway. So, does that mean New Yorkers are mean and cold people? I can tell you that it is just a stereotype. After seven years here, I guess I am officially a New Yorker.
New York City is the place where I had so many tears, laughter, failures, successes, frustrations, and hopes. The city holds a very special place in my heart. Throughout all these years, I had three entirely different jobs and met so many interesting people. My first job was working at sales and marketing at a wholesale company. The second one was working at an education consulting company to help international students to come to study in the U.S. The Third job is managing a coffee shop and organizing community events for a non-profit organization. Surprisingly, all my jobs are a desire or idea God had put in my heart. God knows every single thought in my mind, and he kept some doors open and some doors closed. Every job came like a surprise. As a global citizen, another big problem we are facing is probably the legal statuses to be able to work, especially when the work permit is a lottery. However, I view it as a blessing from God. I do not want to promote the idea that if you believe in God, then everything you do will be successful. I do not believe that. But something I am certain is throughout all these years, my faith has been strengthened, and I have more peace and joy even when I am facing trials. Now I know why God brought me to New York. It is to strengthen my faith and make me know Him better as He took me to Kansas to make me know Him.
Sometimes, you may feel alone as if in this busy city no one would understand or care about you, but you would never expect at the corner of the next street you are walking on, you might encounter a stranger who would tell you his or her life story. The most important thing is that God is so near, and He is with me throughout all the ups and downs. As I look back, some things became clear, and some things are not. But I can see God put certain people in my life to push me through to fulfill his purposes. Now I am still here after ten years living as a global citizen. I would proudly say I love being a global citizen. It opened up my mind and my heart. If life is a course, I will run it whole-heartily with love and passion. And I know I am not alone; my heavenly father is here with me.
If you are a global citizen or not one yet, let us experience this together. You never know what comes next, but are you ready to push through the purposes God has given you? It is here and now.
