If I had to pick one event in my life which significantly altered it, I would have to pick moving to the United States from Hong Kong in the winter of 1998. Not only did my immediate circumstances change with this move- the house I lived in was now in a suburb instead of a gated community, the Chicago climate was harsh and freezing, my new school was very large and unfamiliar- but also, my entire perception of the world shifted as a result of this move. Although my parents, and I, have always been American citizens, because I was born and also lived in Singapore, I had never lived before in the states. In retrospect, my life overseas was greatly different, but armed me with a more open-minde and global perspective that I sometimes believe more Americans should have. I have not been back to Asia since I have left, and I think this is another reason this move felt so monumental, as living overseas becomes to me, sadly, more and more of a distant and entirely seperate memory from my life here.