IRE Homework Task - Personal Influences - A significant event

A most significant event I can think of that has really helped me with my independence, self confidence, self belief and my outlook on life and friendship would have to be my trip to Rome with college, which happened in February 2012.

I don't really know where to start with talking about Rome. I just loved it. I loved the whole experience. Ok, the ways where it has influenced and developed me as a person are, first of all, it was the first time I went on "holiday" (I know it wasn't technically a holiday, but still, it felt like one) without my parents, and it was the first time I have been in another country without my parents, so that was a huge thing about the whole Rome experience already, even though I did find it a little tough at first.

Also, a lot of people went on the Rome Trip, most I hadn't met before, because they were from different courses. For starters, I didn't even know two of the five people that I shared a room with (the five including myself) before the Rome trip, and I certainly met a lot of other people on the trip who all seemed to like me a lot. Some of them still go to college but are studying an Art Foundation Diploma, and to be honest, before their course ends at the end of this year I would like to get to know the people that were on the Rome trip that are studying this course this year a bit better, at least so that they'll remember and think of me as a good friend when they leave.

This trip, along with meeting all these new people, also taught me a lot about friendship and did improve my confidence quite a lot. I think since then I have noticed that people genuinely like me, although with some people that is still hard for me to notice. I did also have a great time with my friends that I did already know who made the trip so memorable and so much fun. I also received many compliments from my current friends, the tutors and the people I had met on the trip, who all said what a nice, brave, good hearted, friendly and strong character I was, and these compliments have stayed with me since the trip.