My name is John Anderson. I'm 19 years old and from Guyana. My country is located on the northern coast of South America. It is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers and eco-tourists: it has huge waterfalls, the Amazon rain forest, amazing wildlife and a vibrant indigenous culture. The coldest temperature in Guyana is twenty five degrees Celsius. Since childhood I had a dream. I wanted to study in Russia. It is the largest country on earth and provides a great opportunity to develop your abilities.

Now I live and study on the other end of the world, where has minus 50 degrees in winter and in summer plus 40. I do not know why it happened. Apparently, there was a "shift" in the geography of my mind. Maybe I wanted extreme. I knew nothing about this region. And indeed, the world does not know much about this place. But it so happened that I chose not a big city in Russia and by modern standards generally tiny, where there is a population of just 300,000 people - the city of Yakutsk.

When I told my parents and family members that I wanted to go to the north and study in Yakutsk, they were shocked. My uncle quickly gave me a chart showing the temperatures. I looked at it and saw those magnificent figures and then smiled and said: “If people can live there, I can too!” I knew that this trip would open a whole new world for me. This is primarily an adventure in my life.

So I chose what is called the “edge of the earth." This edge of the earth is 19,541 miles away from my home. I went to nowhere! This is my future. After traveling for three days from Georgetown, I arrived in Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It turns out that it is the largest region in Russia. Excitement covered all my body. Where did I come from? What will happen to me? I did not know what to expect.

I arrived in Yakutsk in October. Outdoors temperature was -10. I saw something white falling from the sky. Teacher told me that it's snowing. But I did not know a single word in Russian and did not understand. For me it was a huge culture shock. Now I love this soft beautiful snow at winter that covers the whole earth. How can a southerner keep warm in the North? To keep warm, I put on a pair of cotton socks with two pairs of warm socks, three pairs of warm pants (long johns), a pair of jeans, a warm undershirt, long -sleeved T-shirt, winter coat with a hood, a pair of wool gloves, wool scarf and hat. Yes, it’s like wearing 40 kilos of clothing. Apparently, I looked exotic in these clothes.

First we were taught Russian language and three months later I had already started to understand Russian. It was fantastic, after coming here and not knowing a single word in Russian. Then we studied mathematics, history and other necessary subjects. Now I am studying World Economics at The Finance and Economic Institute of North Eastern Federal University. I like studying here. After completing my degree, I want to pursue my masters and then work with my Government: Government of Guyana as an Economist. I want to serve my country.

In conclusion I would like to say that the arrival in Yakutsk and life in this region changed me. It took me out from my comfort zone and gave me a new perspective on life. I was put to test life in a completely different world. I strongly recommend to everyone, to leave their comfort zone and go into the world with open eyes, experience for yourself what makes a young person’s identity. Your view of the world might change; if only you experience the world for yourself. The people living here are happy because they feel good in this ‘world’. They have a job, a dream and opportunities to make a career. North is their world and now it is my world, because I live in it and I am interested about it.