As I was complaining about a purse being expensive in a little shop in New York City, an old lady once told me “nothing is free in America” and I responded, “but anything is possible.”
I put the purse back and walked out of her store with a smile. I was just being silly but I do believe that anything is possible in the United States of America; you just have to be at the right place at the right time.

Look, we are in a country where anyone can become a singer. Rebecca Black made it look so easy with her song called “Friday.” Well, how about those Mondays that nobody likes, I could make a radio hit and hit the jackpot. No vocal lessons needed either.

It also seems like anyone can become a TV star. Apparently, I do not even have to go to auditions; auditions are coming to me. If my memory is good, MTV’s “Made” came to Grand Valley State University toward the end of winter semester last school year. Of course, I am being sarcastic here; however, I mean to say that America always does it grand. It goes from its extra large McDonalds fries and drinks to the gigantesque skyscrapers. It’s all about “go big or go home” and it is most definitely my type of country.

I’ve seen myself becoming more confident over the years I’ve spent here. It’s like I am somehow living in a dream. I feel capable of doing big things, more than when I am in Paris, France, as crazy at it sounds. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing comes easy, and that success will not fall out of the sky. I’ve always said that Americans were hard workers. They work so much, creating all these opportunities for themselves and making it all happen. I can get nothing but inspired by being on this side of the globe.

Everything is way more accessible here. Throughout the four years I’ve been here, I was able to visit the NBC studios in Chicago, travel to Miami for Spring Break and hang around celebrities like it is nobody’s business: things that would never happen in France. But most importantly, I was able to get a great education at an American university, the ones I used to see in the movies back home and think, “Man, I need to make my way over there and go to one of those.”

Even though the USA and I have a love/hate relationship, I am thankful to have the chance to study here. It is helping me grow and better myself on a daily basis. I can’t say that I’m fearless, but I’m less scared of what the future has to bring. No matter where and who you are, and before you become the next Rebecca Black, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, never forget that anything is possible, as long as you want it hard enough. On top of that, we are Lakers, and there is nothing we can’t do.
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