My Introduction

I am Christian Van Sickle and this is my introduction. I was born on August 3rd, 1996 in Guatemala City. I lived in Guatemala for about 15 years before I moved to Weston, Florida. Growing up in Guatemala, a Spanish speaking country, required me to be fluent in Spanish. I was however also practically fluent in English thanks to my dad, who was born in Ohio and insisted that my sisters and I speak English just as well as we could speak Spanish. We had to talk to my dad strictly in English and my mom in Spanish.  If we spoke the wrong language to either one of them, they would act as if they didn't know what we said (even though they are both bilingual in Spanish and English). Living in Guatemala also taught to me to appreciate many things that a lot of people take for granted.

I moved to Weston, Florida when I was 15 years old. I started half way through the school year since Guatemalan schools have a different academic year compared to American schools. In Guatemala school runs from January to September instead of August to May like in America. I started half way through sophomore year and school was a lot tougher than what I expected it to be. It wasn't tougher academically but I had a hard time making friends in high school. After a few months I finally made a friend and then everything started to get better. I joined the robotics club with my friend and made more friends there. By the time graduation came I had memories and friendships worth their weight in gold. But just as Robert Frost said in a poem, "nothing gold can stay" and I closed one chapter of my life and turned the page to a brand new exciting chapter.

Through the Innovation Academy at the University of Florida, I had the chance to go to Ireland as a fall connection program for IA students. Being on a plane heading to a country which you know absolutely nothing about and no one absolutely no one there, is something very exciting and thrilling that I recommend everyone do.  I arrived in Ireland, my heart beating rapidly, excited to see the other people who had also decided to take this trip but unknowing that what was to come would be the best time of my life. There are too many stories from this trip to tell them here but I made many friends of which many I still hang out with as much as I can and I got to see the beauty of Ireland, someday I will go back to enjoy it once more. 

 After returning from Ireland I had a few months where all I did was wait until school started, so that I could see everyone. Time came to move to Gainesville, Florida and start college. The first year I lived on campus in a hall called Beaty Towers. I had many adventures with the people that lived there. My first year was very exciting and memorable. Starting my sophomore year I have moved off of campus in an apartment complex called Pavilion on 62nd and this where this story catches up with my real life. Currently majoring in Computer Science, still having adventures and hoping that the fun never ends but nothing gold can stay, so I will enjoy everything while it lasts, and hope the next chapter is even better than the last.