Having built a strong foundation in Dubai, I moved to Bali for a year, to try out this incredible "bamboo school in the jungle". My family had to stay in Dubai so I moved in with a friend, who had moved two years before and kindly offered to take me in. I was extremely nervous, moving away from home at the age of 13 but I immediately fell in love with the place. Kind people, a beautiful campus and exciting lessons filled my days, and I began looking forward to going to school. The school had sparked an interest in learning I hadn't experienced before. I became immersed in projects and started looking for ways I could have a positive impact. Before I knew it, the year was over. I'd been welcomed into a group that became my closest friends, I'd had real life experiences and I'd been given a newfound freedom I never wanted to lose. Sharing all this with my parents, I convinced them that they should make the move too and a few months later, I was living with my family again, in Bali. 

The entire experience of this alternative way of learning has helped me discover and practice valuable skills that I'm now able to apply to my life. As of writing this, I'm about to embark on a gap-year and feel confident in my ability to adapt, communicate, think critically and problem solve.  Each project I've completed has taught me something new about myself and the world around me.  Along with that, being able to interact with the incredible teachers every day is something I haven't experienced anywhere else. Being able to see my teachers as friends, instead of people we despise, has been extremely impactful and played a massive role in my eagerness to engage in opportunities at school.