“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”- Kong Tzu. Mine began in 8th grade I took Mandarin 1, because I was intrigued by the culture and history. As the year went on I slowly realized how unprepared I was for what the class demanded. I paid the price for it. I received a D for the year. I was undoubtedly the worst speaker in class. Furthermore, my teacher gave me a choice to either take another class or to retake Mandarin 1 because I just wasn’t ready for Mandarin 2. I made the decision that would ultimately lead me to my destiny. The following year was much easier for me, however I was still lacking the drive needed to really make the difference. Eventually when I finally took Mandarin 2 it became apparent to me how important China was to me. I decided that I would study outside of class, do the homework, and even pay attention in class. I became obsessed with China. So much so that I would speak the language all the time and learn as much as I could about its history. I was fascinated by the art, music, food, history, and philosophy. I still failed from time to time, but I never gave up. In the summer of 2015, I traveled to China and was surrounded by the language that I studied so painstakingly. I was on the Great Wall of China, I got to see where the first emperor was buried, and I even got see the Temple of Heaven. I had the opportunity to demonstrate my skill and many were impressed by my progress. So much so that people told me I was on the road to becoming fluent. When I returned to America I was more motivated than ever to pursue the language. I started taking Kung-Fu classes and began looking into schools in which I could master the language. Looking back at it now even though I failed my first year of Mandarin, I never gave up. Investing into hard work sharpened my Mandarin and by Mandarin 3 I was the best speaker in class. In my case Kong Tzu was correct when he said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”. Choosing to continue my study of Mandarin sent me on a literal journey to China, and set a path for my future.